Go for the opposite

“When I came to you, brothers and sisters, proclaiming the mystery of God, I do not come with sublimity of words or of wisdom. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear and much trembling, and my message and proclamation were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of Spirit and power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 2: 1 – 5)

If I can imbibe the spirit of 1 Corinthians 2: 1 – 5, then my ministry will be successful. Here I see the concept of “agree contra” at work: Move to the opposite direction to the spirit of the world. Don’t just conform but do the opposite.
The world loves sublimity of words and wisdom. Go for simplicity and intelligibility.
The world wants Jesus Christ the prosperous, the miracle wonder, the multiplier of loaves. Preach Jesus Christ crucified.
The world admires power, strength and show of confidence. Go in weakness, fear and trembling. Both St. Vincent de Paul and Cardinal Manzarin were often at the table of the king of France. But each had different spirit. One became a saint and the other a small dot in history.
The world goes for persuasive words of wisdom. Go for a demonstration of Spirit and power.

Everything the man of God does is to show that the glory should go to God and not to us.

The harvest is plenty

“So as he stepped ashore he saw a large crowd; and he took pity on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he set himself to teach them at some length.” (Mark 6: 34)

The world is full today with many sheep without shepherd. The harvest is plenty but where are the laborers?

O Lord, send many laborers into your vineyard. Here I am, Lord. Lead me; guide me; send me.

Lead me and guide me

“He guides me in the right path for his name’s sake.” (Psalm 23: 3)

One prayer that I make every day and in fact several times a day is: “Lead me and guide me.” I believe that without the constant guidance of God I am lost. I am self-employed and I have come to depend on light and guidance for my survival. For me today, no detail is too small to seek for guidance.

It is perhaps less than four years ago that I began to understand the mysterious nature of God’s guidance. Before this time, if things went according to plan and expectations during the day, I considered myself led and guided. If not, then God did not lead and guide me during that day. The change came after I attended ACTS Retreat. I found out that God’s guidance is constant and it is part of his powerful and loving Providence. Today, I pray for light to see how God guides me every day and the faith to believe it.

My Good Shepherd 2

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
Besides restful waters he leads me;
He refreshes my soul.”
(Psalm 23: 1-2)

Where are my green pastures? Since 1992, while still employed by Unilever, I had yearned to do my own thing. The answer to that yearning took many years in coming. Today, I know that my Good Shepherd has answered the prayer. My means of livelihood constitute my green pastures. I use my training and talents in marketing, advertising and information technology. These are areas I received training and experience in paid employment. It may not be all rosy financially but I enjoy using my talents in these areas. Self-employment opens the door for me study Scripture and theology. This is an area I have great interest at the moment. One green pasture leads to another. Self-employment makes it possible for me to be present at the Eucharist more than once a week. This pasture is greener than all the green pastures because the Eucharist is both a banquet and a school for life. Thank you Jesus. The Eucharist is also the “restful waters” where the Lord refreshes my soul time and time again. Thank you Jesus.

Jesus Christ Our Great Shepherd

“I pray that the God of peace, who brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, by the blood that sealed an eternal covenant, may prepare you to do his will in every kind of good action; effecting in us all whatever is acceptable to himself through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever.” (Hebrews 13: 20 21)

Jesus Christ is our great Shepherd. By his blood, he redeemed us and sealed an eternal covenant.

God is using the 7-Way plan and his grace working in my soul to prepare me to do his will in every kind of good action.

The Vine and the branches

“I am the vine and you are the branches, says the Lord; he who lives in me, and I in him, will bear much fruit.” (John 15: 5)

Jesus Christ is still the Vine today.
His principle of productivity” “Live in me.”

But how do I live in Christ?
The 7-Way Plan:

• Prayer
• Word of God
• Eucharist
• Penance
• Examen
• Ministry
• Spiritual reading/ spiritual direction

The above means expose one to Christ’s action and grace. The result: Great harvest.

The Prophet and the Word

“It is against the law for you to have your brother’s wife.” (Mark 6: 18)
This is the prophetic utterance that cost St. John the Baptist his life. Today, more than ever, there is a great need to bear witness to God’s word through fearless proclamation. The Herods of today would react like the old fox. Their intention will be the same: silence permanently the prophet and the critic.
Am I prepared to be the John the Baptist of today?
Lord, lead me, guide me and use.

Harvest through Perseverance

“Happy are they who have kept the word with a generous heart, and yield harvest through perseverance.” (Luke 8: 15)

What does it need to keep the word with a generous heart? The Parable of the Sower answers, “But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.” (Matthew 13: 23)

Jesus teaches in many places in the Gospel that we need perseverance in order to reach the harvest. There is a season for sowing and a sure time for reaping.

The Lord is my light and my salvation

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear?
The Lord is my life’s refuge: of whom should I be afraid?” (Psalm 27: 1)

Jesus Christ is for me the same: yesterday, today and forever.
Whom should I fear? Nobody.
What shall I fear? Nothing.

Jesus Christ is faithful Witness

“Jesus Christ is the same today as he was yesterday and he will be forever.” (Hebrews 13: 8)
Jesus is still the great Lover in the Songs of Songs.
He is the faithful Witness in Revelation.
Jesus is the great Missionary in Jonas.
He is still the Lamb of God in St. John.
Jesus is still the great Healer in St. Luke.
He is still my light and salvation in Psalm 27.
“Jesus Christ is the same today as he was yesterday and he will be forever.” (Hebrews 13: 8)

Out with avarice

“Put avarice out of your lives and be content with whatever you have; God himself has said: ‘I shall not fail you or desert you,’ and so we can say with confidence: ‘With the Lord on my side, I fear nothing: what can human beings do to me?” (Hebrews 13: 5 – 6)
In 1999 when I reflected again on this key scripture, I confided the following to my journal:
“Put avarice out of your life. What avarice exists in my life today? What are the areas of insecurity in my life today? Is there a correlation between insecurity and avarice?

“Be content with whatever you have:

• Be content with the money you have.
• Be content with the food you have.
• Be content with the clothes you have.
• Be content with the tools you have.

Advertising could create dissonance and discord in us and we become discontent about what we have. It makes us to continually seek more and better things:

• More money
• More and better food
• More and better clothes
• More and better tools

Marketing and advertising could create avarice in us. So be on the alert.

God is renewing the promise he made to me over three years ago:

“I shall not fail you or desert you:

• I shall not fail you with the money you need.
• I shall not fail you with the food you need.
• I shall not fail you with the clothes and the food you need.

What is my response to this promise? Scripture has given me a prompt: Total confidence. “The Lord is on my side. Therefore I fear nothing. Human beings can do nothing to me.” Thank you Jesus.

St. Agatha 2

“Lord, let your forgiveness be won for us by the pleading of St. Agatha, who found favor with you by her chastity and by her courage in suffering death for the gospel …” (Mass of St. Agatha, February 5)
St. Agatha distinguished herself through her courage and chastity.
In the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we praise Mary’s chastity with the following words:

• Virgin of virgins
• Virgin most pure
• Virgin most chaste
• Mother inviolate

God love purity and chastity.

St. Agatha

“Here is a true martyr who shed her blood for Christ; her judges could not shake her by their menaces, and so she won through to the kingdom of heaven.” - Mass for Martyrs
St. Agatha is one of “the clouds of witnesses” who cheer us in our struggle against evil. She resisted temptation to the point of shedding blood. Can we resist temptation to the point of losing:

• Family
• Job
• Money
• Health
• Tools
• Food

O Holy Spirit, help us. Give us courage.
Temptations are trials of faith. They say to us: demonstrate your faith. How much can you give up for your faith, for Jesus?

Project Canisius

“Then he summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs, giving them authority over unclean spirits. And he instructed them to take nothing for the journey except a staff – no bread, no haversack, no coppers for their purses.” (Mark 6: 7 -9)
In 1998, I started a website as a journal of my reflections on Sacred Scripture. That was some years before Blog. I called the adventure Project Canisius. I confided this reflection to my journal on the above scripture:
“Jesus sent out the Twelve on practicum. Project Canisius is practicum. As part of practicum, the Apostles were to learn apostolic simplicity and trust in God to provide all their needs. They were to stay in the same house until they leave the district.
Project Canisius is practicum.
Lord, teach me apostolic simplicity. Teach me to depend on you to provide all my needs. Remove from me unnecessary worries. Amen

Mount Zion

“What you have come to is Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem where the millions of angels have gathered for the festival, with the whole church of the first born sons, enrolled as citizens of heaven.” (Hebrews 12: 22-23)

Through our Baptism, we are enrolled as citizens of Mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem. We already enjoy full sacramental privileges as citizens of heaven. We can participate fully in the Eucharistic festival, the Supper of the Lamb. The new covenant is spiritual and more effective. We appropriate its fruits through faith. Jesus Christ is the High Priest and mediator of this covenant.

Qualifications

“With the coming of the Sabbath he began teaching in the synagogue, and most of them were astonished when they heard him. They said, ‘where did the man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been granted him, and these miracles that are worked through him?” (Mark 6:2)

Why were the people astonished at the teaching and miracles of Jesus? They knew Jesus as one of them. They knew his parents and knew the fact that he did not go to any big school. While Jesus lived among them, his manner of living was ordinary. There was nothing in the background of Jesus that prepared them for what they were seeing.

God took the poor things of this world to make them strong in order to show where the power was coming from. God can use any of us to do great things for himself. No need to worry about lack of qualifications or prestigious background.

Perseverance

“Perseverance is part of your training; God is treating you as his sons. Has there ever been any son whose Father did not train him?” (Hebrews 12:7)
During my desert experience, God worked to change my attitude to the following:
• Family
• Job
• Money
• Health
• Tools
• Food
To achieve his purpose, he used these resources:
• Eucharist
• Penance
• Word of God
• Prayer
• Examen
• Ministry
• Spiritual Reading/Spiritual Direction
Later, he made me aware that there were other things in his training program:
• Perseverance
• Simplicity
• Chastity
Thank you Father.

God's School

“My son, do not spurn correction from the Lord, do not resent his training, for the Lord trains those he loves, and chastises every son he accepts.” (Hebrews 12: 5 – 6)
My desert experience was both correction and training from the Father. The Father revealed this to me through the above scripture. When I saw the light, I decided to behave in the Father’s classroom.
During the desert experience which lasted for about four years, my attitude changed profoundly vis-à-vis the following:
• Family
• Job
• Money
• Health
• Tools
• Food
When I emerged from the desert, these weapons of warfare had been firmly placed in my armory:
• Eucharist
• Reconciliation
• Word of God
• Prayer
• Examen
• Spiritual Reading/Direction
Father, I thank you very much for the Desert Experience. You knocked me down but you raised me up again. I submit myself completely to whatever program you have for me. Correct me. Teach me. Use me. Amen!

Fight against sin

“In the fight against sin, you have not yet had to keep fighting to the point of bloodshed.” (Hebrews 12: 41)
The martyrs are those who fought to the point of bloodshed. Peter and Paul, Athanasius, Maximillian Kolbe, Justin the Martyr, Cecilia and clouds of other witnesses fought to the point of bloodshed to witness to Christ. They did not compromise their faith. How far am I prepared to fight against sin?
Some cost of witnessing to Jesus Christ today:
• Job
• Money
• Suffering
• Illness
• Inconvenience
• Imprisonment
• Family
When we contemplate the agony of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, we ask for the gift to overcome all fears of suffering in order to witness to Jesus Christ when challenged. The martyrs looked forward to this challenge and when it came, they embraced it with the grace they had stored for it.
Lord Jesus, grant me the grace to overcome the fears of suffering so that I can witness to you when challenged.

The Power of God's Word

"The law of your mouth is to me more precious than thousands of gold and silver pieces.”

(Psalm 119: 72).

How do we know for certain that God's word is more precious than silver and gold? God's word transforms ordinary humans into extraordinary beings. There are abundant proofs from the lives of many people. Their heroic lives had been recognized and many of them canonized as saints. The proof also come from the lives of dedicated Christians living among us. These individuals have the courage to test the life-changing principles in the Bible and confirm that they work. Their highly successful lives and achievements bear testimony to the power of God's word. God’s word contains many promises each of which is may be worth more than silver and gold, depending on our needs.

To discover the gold and silver in the word of God, read it as a personal letter. Read the word in order to act on its principles and so obtain what it promises.

How Apply the Word of God to your Problem:

· Define the problem.

· . State two or more key words that are contained in your problem.

· Get a Bible Concordance and list all the references to your keywords.

· Take your Bible and write out all the references that bear directly on the problem.

· Focus on a number of texts that apply directly to you.

· Ask the Holy Spirit to show you how to apply the scripture.

The last step is critical: Understand what the scripture is saying to your actual situation. If you are not satisfied with the answer that you are getting, keep working on it until you are enlightened.

Believe the Bible text that God has revealed as answer to your problem. Belief may not come automatically. Like Peter, you can say again and again: "Lord I believe; increase my faith."

When you get a clear idea on concrete steps to take to solve your problem, act without hesitation. If you are not sure, wait until you get this clear signal. This is the most important step. "Faith that is firm is also patient." (Isaiah 28:16)