The King and His Kingdom

“Then Peter stood up with the Eleven and addressed them in a loud voice…..On the contrary, this is what the prophet was saying: In the Last days – the Lord declares – I shall pour out my Spirit on all humanity. Your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your young people shall see visions, your old people dream dreams….” ( Acts 2: 14 – 21)
We see in the above scripture the prophecy and fulfillment of one of the most important prophecies in the Old Testament. I am currently reading The Teachings of the Church Fathers, by John Willis, SJ. I am surprised to see how the Church Fathers used prophecy and fulfillment in defending the person and work of Jesus Christ as Son of God and Son of Mary. God promised humanity the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in various passages in the Old Testament. He delivered on this promise in a mighty way on the day of Pentecost.
In the scriptures, the Spirit is known by many names: Spirit of power, Spirit of wisdom and knowledge, spirit of prophecy and so on. I like to refer to the Holy Spirit as Spirit of ministry. It is only through the Spirit that we can use our gifts in the service of God. Using our gifts in the service of God is exercising our ministry. Recently I witnessed the enlargement of my ministry. For a number of years, I exercised the ministry of lector and catechist. It pleased the Lord to enlarge my field by adding recently Sanctuary service to my ministry. Sanctuary service is a ministry I exercised before I was ten years old. At various times and places, I had been called upon to exercise Sanctuary service. That the call should come to me again at this point in my life is both mysterious and fulfilling. I can only thank God for His mercies.
The Spirit’s power in our live can be compared to electricity. We see the various effects of electricity but not electricity itself. Electricity is designed to be used not touched or seen. The Holy Spirit provides me with power to accomplish my ministry in the great program called the Kingdom of God. Kingdom (Basileia in Greek) means rule or authority. Where the King is, there is His kingdom. The King is Jesus Christ. When we pray to the Father “thy kingdom come,” we mean the establishment of the rule and authority of King Jesus at all times and everywhere. If this rule and authority of Jesus Christ is established fully in my heart and mind, then I can help through my ministry to bring it about in the hearts and minds of people whom the Lord places on my path.

Power to express themselves....

“They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak different languages as the Spirit gave them power to express themselves.” (Acts 2: 4)
• Filled with the Holy Spirit
• Spirit and power
• Spirit and tongues
• Spirit and gifts
The disciples in the Upper Room were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to manifest at once. They had prepared themselves with prayer. They were expecting. The visible signs of the outpouring of the Spirit made them realize that this is indeed the hour of the promised Gift.
I affirm that God is a good communicator. It is impossible to miss His message or signal. On 122108, I asked the Father a point blank question. The desire to serve Jesus in a special way that has been with me for over twelve years, should I forget about it or is there something to it? The answer came in one word: WAIT. Fast forward. 0311, I entered the Sanctuary service. I asked the Lord to anoint me mightily with power to express myself in this new ministry. I nalso asked the question: Is this the Father’s answer to my question of 1208? If it is, I am very happy with this. My whole life has pointed to Sanctuary service right from the age of seven. Many years ago, I took notice of men who served in the Sanctuary and I liked what they did. The only problem was that they were all retired. I said to myself that when I am retired I too would like to serve the Lord in the Sanctuary for the rest of my life. Is this the moment?

Power to bear witness

“It is not for you to know times and dates that the Father has decided by his own authority, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and then you will be my witnesses not only in Jerusalem but throughout the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1: 7-7)
“I have chosen you from the world to go and bear fruit that will last.” (John 15: 16, 19)
“I will bear a witness to you in the world, O Lord. I will spread the knowledge of your name among my brothers, alleluia!” (Psalm 17: 50:; 21: 23)

Wait for what the Father had promised

“When he had been at table with them, he had told them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for what the Father had promised. ‘It is,’ he had said, ‘what you have heard me speak about: John baptized with water but you, not many days from now, will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 1: 4-5)
What was the apostles to wait for? - The Holy Spirit
Where were they to wait? – Jerusalem
How long were they to wait? – “Not many days from now.” That is to say, “ten days.”
How were they to wait? – In prayer.

The above scripture, Acts 1: 4-5 is full of types and shadows. About the time I confided the reflection on this passage to my journal in January 1998, a friend I met in a Houston area library said to me: “We are all waiting for something.” The statement struck me to be very true. Some are waiting to be healed from the sickness, while others are waiting to see a doctor to start receiving their treatment. Some are waiting to get a job. Others are waiting to proceed to retirement. There are people waiting to get married. There are others waiting to end their marriage and get on with their lives.
Jesus Christ talks about a special waiting in Acts 1: 4-5. It is a waiting for a very special gift, God’s best and greatest gift to man. The promise of the Holy Spirit long foretold in the Old Testament and immediately by Jesus is about to be fulfilled. Whenever we receive a special guest, we prepare for him carefully. The house is cleaned and everything is set right. The disciples of Jesus were instructed to stay in Jerusalem and precisely in the Upper Room to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit. They were to be closeted in retreat with the Blessed Virgin Mary to wait for this historic and momentous event.

Forgiving and retaining sins

“Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven; if you retain anyone’s sins, they are retained.” (John 20: 22-23)
The Church teaches that by the above instruction, Jesus Christ instituted once and for all times the Sacrament of Reconciliation, also called, the Sacrament of Penance, Sacrament of Confession. Since I returned fully to the practice of my faith, this Sacrament has become a powerful weapon in my arsenal. St. Paul instructs us in Ephesians 6 to put on the “full armor.” My armory is made up of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the Eucharist, Prayer, the word of God and a few others.
Today, at the Dominican Church in downtown, I had course to thank Jesus Christ once again for this Sacrament. The pattern I established many years ago for using this Sacrament has been very helpful to me. I do not wait until “something happens” to take recourse of this Sacrament. I try to go once in two weeks and I have found this routine best for me. Weekly seems too short and monthly appears too long to remember everything that should be mentioned.

Complete Truth

“I still have many things to say to you but they would be too much for you to bear now. However, when the Spirit of truth comes he will lead you to the complete truth, since he will not be speaking of his own accord, but will say only what he has been told; and he will reveal to you the things to come.” (John 16: 12 – 13)
Jesus Christ promised His Church that the Holy Spirit will lead her to the fullness of truth. With complete assurance in this promise, the Church has throughout the ages prayerfully reflected on the words of Jesus and the experience of living out this word. Eternal truths have been perceived with clarity and added to the body of doctrines. Dogma or the certitude of doctrine is part and parcel of the Catholic heritage. Truth never changes.
The Blessed John Henry Newman writes: “Certitude of course is a point, but doubt is a progress. Certitude is a reflex action; it is to know that one knows.” The Holy Spirit helps the Church to come to certitude of doctrine by which the faith of the Church is constantly nourished. Jesus said that it is impossible to enter the kingdom of God unless one has the mind frame of a child. A child perceives truth by intuition.

He will remind you

“I have said these things to you while still with you; but the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, will teach you everything and remind you of all I have said to you.” (John 14: 26)
Last Sunday after Mass, I stopped to talk to a friend whom I know shares the same enthusiasm about the Holy Spirit as myself. I beam with joy when I hear him attribute everything to the Holy Spirit. I feel the same way as himself. I rely completely on the Holy Spirit for inspiration and power. Without Him, I don’t even want to start any project. I marvel constantly at His suggestions and ideas. “Try this.” Or “Put it this way.” Each time, it is a winning proposition.
What I appreciate most about the Holy Spirit is what he does to my memory. He reminds me constantly what Jesus has said to me and equally important, the marvelous things Jesus has done for me. Thank you O Holy Spirit.

The Paraclete

“If you love me you will keep my commandments. I shall ask the Father, and he will give you another Paraclete to be with you forever, the Spirit of truth whom the world can never accept since it neither sees nor knows him; but you know him, because he is with you, he is in you.” (John 14: 14-17)
Loving Jesus and keeping His commandments is one and the same thing. He who claims to love Jesus and at the same time breaks constantly one or the other of the commandments is a liar. When we know Jesus and love Him, we open our hearts to the greatest gift – the Spirit of truth. He is called the Spirit of truth here to show His opposition to the spirit of falsehood that rules the world. The Holy Spirit in us assures our victory over the world. With the Holy Spirit in us, we fear nothing. He is the voice that speaks in court. He tells us what to say and do in critical moments of our life. Calling on him makes a difference in every single situation.
Send forth your Spirit O Lord!!

Thirsty for the Spirit

“On the last day, the great day of the festival, Jesus stood and cried out: ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me! Let anyone who believes in me come and drink! As scripture says, ‘From his heart shall flow streams of living water.’ He was speaking of the Spirit which those who believed in him were to receive; for there was no Spirit as yet because Jesus had not yet been glorified.” (John 7: 37 – 39)
Lord Jesus, I am thirsty for the Spirit. Here I am. Let this stream of living water flow from my heart to wherever I may find myself: in the Church, my neighborhood, in my workplace. Everywhere I go, let me irrigate the place with this stream of living water. I believe in you Jesus. I trust in your word.

The Spirit and Pope John Paul II

“It is the Spirit that gives life, the flesh has nothing to offer. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.” (John 6: 63)
On January 26, 1998, I confided to my journal the following reflection:
“Pope John Paul II concluded a historic visit to Cuba yesterday. Most news commentators stressed his age and his feeble health. As I watched him on the television, I could see that his hands were trembling and that his flesh was indeed weak. But only a blind man could miss the fact that his spirit is very strong.
On the 1st of May, 2011, Pope John Paul II will be beatified a Blessed, one step towards full canonization. The world would watch in awe as it did during his funeral Mass. One can argue that 80% of his magnificent achievement was recording in the years of declining health and feebleness of the flesh. For those who follow salvation history, this is not a great mystery. “It is the Spirit that gives life, the flesh has nothing to offer.” God has always used weak flesh to achieve great things. Think of Mother Teresa!

Worship in spirit and truth

“God is spirit, and those who worship must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4: 24)
With the above scripture, Jesus revealed to the Samaritan woman the new form of worship that is pleasing to God. It will be worship rendered to God by His children who accept the Lordship of Jesus Christ in their lives and have been baptized by water and the Holy Spirit. Such worshipers are led to true worship by the indwelling Holy Spirit.
“Eternal Father, turn our hearts to you. By seeking your kingdom and loving one another, may we become a people who worship you in spirit and truth …” Mass Prayer in Lent

Born through water and the Spirit

“In all truth I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born through water and the Spirit. What is born of human nature is human; what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be surprised when I say: You must be born from above. The wind blows where it pleases; you can hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is of everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3: 5-8)
We are born of water and the Spirit when we are baptized and confirmed in the Spirit. This is the first necessary step. When we allow the indwelling Spirit to control our thoughts, words and deeds, we come to taste and see that the Lord is good. The indwelling Spirit is a most welcomed Guest in our soul. He provides us with inspiration and power. I experience His constant guidance in my work of graphic design. Frankly I do not know what I would do without Him. He is the always present and infallible Guide. When I call, He answers. Thank you O Most Holy Spirit.

Jesus Christ is my prosperity

"Blessed is the man who delights in the law of the Lord.......Whatever he does, he prospers." (Psalm 1)

When I read the above again this morning, I asked myself the point blank question: Do I feel prosperity in whatever I do? By the way, what is prosperity? The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines prosperity as "the condition of being successful or thriving ; esp.: economic well-being." In other words, prosperity and success are one and the same thing. God's word which is true tells us that Jesus Christ is our peace, that is, our shalom. Shalom is the sum total of prosperity and success. I now see clearly that Jesus Christ is my prosperity, my security, my stability and my success. Not in the way the world calculates but in the way the word of God teaches.
• My own peace I give to you.
• Seek for genuine riches.
Gather treasures that last.

The testimony of John the Baptist

“And John declared, ‘I saw the Spirit come down on him like a dove from heaven and rest on him. I did not know him myself, but he who sent me to baptize with water had said to me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and rest is the One who is to baptize with the Holy Spirit. I have seen and I testify that he is the Chosen One of God.” (John 1: 32 – 34)
This is John’s testimony. What is mine?
“I have chosen you from the world to go and bear fruit that will last.” (John 15: 16, 19)
“I will bear a witness to you in the world, O Lord. I will spread the knowledge of your name among my brothers, alleluia.” (Psalm 17: 50; 21: 23)

Keep on asking

“And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for…….. You fathers – if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead?.....If you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.” (Luke 11: 9-13) – New Living Translation
On how to pray, Jesus tells us above to ask and keep on asking. How do we know when to stop asking since we know from experience that not every request is granted? It is easy to know when to stop, when we are completely detached as to the outcome of our desire. This is not something that is easy to do for most of us. When you believe that you know more than God what you need, it becomes impossible to let Him decide when to grant the desire, how to grant the longing and if to grant the desire at all. The cardinal rule of effective prayer is to align our desires to the mind of God. If we do this, we become totally detached as to the outcome of our desire. When we become truly children, God become a Father to us.
We stop asking for the object when the desire for that object is taken away from you. When we rest in the arms of God like a weaned child in its mother’s arms, God knows the perfect time to take away that toy that we cling to so jealously.

Anointing Produces Abundant Harvest

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has appointed me to preach Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the downtrodden will be freed from their oppressors, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.” (Luke 4: 18)
The Spirit of the Lord anointed Jesus to:
• Proclaim Good News to the poor
• Proclaim liberty to captives
• Make the blind see
• Free the downtrodden from the grasp of their oppressors
Where the Spirit of the Lord anoints, there is abundant harvest.

Familiarity breeds contempt

“John answered their questions by saying, “I baptize with water; but someone is coming soon who is greater than I am – so much greater that I am not even worthy to be his slave. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” (Luke 3: 16)
John the Baptizer who was praised by Jesus as the greatest man born of woman says here: Jesus is “so much greater that I am not even worthy to be his slave.” If John is not worthy to be the slave of Jesus, how about us? When I watch how people behave inside the Church where we believe in the real presence of Jesus in the Tabernacle, I wonder if the behavior is caused by lack of faith or by too much familiarity with Jesus, the type of familiarity that breeds contempt.
Lord, give us a deep awareness of your presence in the Blessed Sacrament and in the Eucharist and a corresponding reverence for Your Majesty.

Lenten Temptation

"1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. 2 He fasted for forty days and forty nights, 2 and afterwards he was hungry. 3 The tempter approached and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread." 4 He said in reply, "It is written: 'One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.'" 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city, and made him stand on the parapet of the temple, 6 and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: 'He will command his angels concerning you and 'with their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.'" 7 Jesus answered him, "Again it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.'" 8 Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence, 9 and he said to him, "All these I shall give to you, if you will prostrate yourself and worship me." 10 At this, Jesus said to him, "Get away, Satan! It is written: 'The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.'" 11 Then the devil left him and, behold, angels came and ministered to him."
A few weeks ago, I prayed to the Father: "Grant me financial security and stability." I was unsatisfied with the frequent ups and downs in my financial fortune. The prayer was provoked by the financial charge I pay on my bank credit card, which I use as working capital. My debt hovers around $1000 every billing cycle. It bothers me. Work as hard as I can, I cannot reduce it or eliminate it. So I bargained with the Father. If you wipe out this debt and grant me financial prosperity and stability, I would invest the saved financial charge in your work. I believe that the Father heard my prayer. It has now been weeks since I made that prayer and repeated it from time to time. Nothing has happened but I feel peaceful about my finances.
The theme of today’s Sunday Mass is based on the both the first reading on the fall of Adam and Eve in Genesis and the Temptation of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew. The question to me arising from the readings and the sermon is point blank: What is your temptation in Lent 2011? I realized that in asking God for financial prosperity and stability, I was asking the Father to provide me with ffinancial security. From here, it was easy to see that my temptation is to be financially secure. It was a rude awakening. The devil tempted Jesus in the desert at a point of his weakness. “Have something to eat lest you die of hunger.” Very hungry as Jesus was, He rejected the Easy Way and chose to trust His Father’s Way.
As I reflected on this light, I asked myself: "Is Jesus no longer my security?" If Jesus is already my security, why do I have to badger the Father to grant me financial security. Is the devil tempting me to seek for security in a way other than how He, the Father has chosen to provide it to me? I cautioned myself. Watch out!

Spirit and wilderness

“John grew up and became strong in spirit. Then he lived out in the wilderness until he began his public ministry to Israel.” (Luke 1: 80)
Growing in the Spirit
Why did John chose the wilderness as the place of his spiritual formation? The wilderness is the star university of the Holy Spirit. John followed the footsteps of the prophets who used the isolation of the uninhabited wilderness to listen to God and find their prophetic voice. The wilderness apart from being a place of isolation is also a place of tests and spiritual warfare. We recall the forty days of Jesus in the wilderness when He was tested by Satan. The wilderness separated John from the economic and political powers of the day. His message to them was pointed and sharp as a result. He also remained separate from the hypocritical religious leaders of his day.

The Holy Spirit will do it

“The angel replied, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you…….. For nothing is impossible with God.” (Luke 1: 35 – 37)
“This is the word of Yahweh with regard to Zerubbabel, ‘Not by might and not by power, but by my Spirit – says Yahweh Sabaoth.” (Zechariah 4:6)
Spirit and power
The Holy Spirit will overshadow you and give you all that you need for the job. The Spirit is the source of inspiration and power. All you need is the Holy Spirit. The job will not be accomplished by your might and power but by the Holy Spirit.
What is your deepest driving desire here and now? For me, it is to be filled with the Holy Spirit who will drive me to my life’s purpose.
• As your desire is, so is your will.
• As your will is, so is your deed.
• As your deed is, so is your destiny.
And again:
• Sow a thought and you reap a deed.
• Sow a deed and you reap a habit.
• Sow a habit and you reap a character.
• Sow a character and you reap a destiny.
• Character is destiny.