The Purpose

"For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare, not for woe! plans to give you a future full of hope." (Jeremiah 29:11)

Ten years ago, I confided to my journal the reflection below. Ten years after, I am amazed as to how things things have turned out. I now have a teaching ministry in my parish. Ten years ago, I saw it as a tiny speck in the future horizon. God is faithful.

God knows the best for me. He has seen the whole pattern of the weaving of my life. He has seen the finished product. He will make a strategic match between my:

• Purpose
  
• Personality
  
• Position (environment)
  

1. What is my purpose? To learn and to communicate.

Sources of learning:

• Mass
  
• Prayer
  
• WOG
  
• Promised Land Scriptures
  
• Christian Radio
  
• TBN
  
• Teaching
  

2. Personality: Jesus Christ describes Himself as the Truth, the Way and the Life. Who am I? A friend and companion of Jesus.

3. Position: Tx-06, STM, SFJ

I trust God to arrange the very best for me.

Remain in my love

"I have loved you just as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love." (John 15: 9)

Lord Jesus, you do not need to tell me today to remain in your love. This is exactly what I want to do and where I want to be. What I want you to tell me is how to remain in your love. I know you love me dearly. Your intense love for me remains a mystery. I have come to accept it. I want to enjoy your love. Spoil me with your love.

But Lord, how do I respond to your love?

Signs and Wonders

"The entire assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul describing all the signs and wonders God had worked through them among the gentiles." (Acts 15: 12)

God confirms the mission to the gentiles through signs and wonders. Every genuine ministry is confirmed by God through signs. My ministry of teaching is confirmed through such signs as attraction to the ministry of teaching, love of learning, lavish provision of books and materials that I need to fulfill the ministry. Occasional words of appreciation from those I minister to. God never tells you in advance how He plans to support your ministry. But the scripture encourages us to pray to see the hope He has reserves for those who serve Him. Without this encouragement from God, ministry might be difficult to undertake and persevere in. Just as through the Sacrament of Marriage, Christ empowers the married to live the sometimes difficult circumstances of the married state, so Jesus does for anybody called to a ministry.

Prepare yourself for trials

"My son, when you come to serve the Lord, stand in justice and fear, prepare yourself for trials. Be sincere of heart and steadfast, incline your ear and receive the word of understanding, undisturbed in time of adversity. Wait on God, with patience, cling to him, forsake him not; thus will you be wise in all your ways. Accept whatever befalls you, when sorrowful, be steadfast, and in crushing misfortune be patient; For in fire gold and silver are tested, and worthy people in the crucible of humiliation. Trust God and God will help you; trust in him and he will direct your way; keep his fear and grow old therein." (Sirach 2: 1 – 6)

The above scripture is part of the powerful first reading on Tuesday before Ash Wednesday 2009. I prayed to the Holy Spirit to carve these words in my mind and heart. I ask Him to text me the above words as and when I need them. To undergo a trial and know what is happening is a plus. To go through adversity and not realize what is happening is fraught with dangers. Danger of discouragement, despair and quitting prematurely. Below is the Responsorial Psalm to the above scripture from Psalm 37.

"Trust in the Lord and do good, that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security.| Take delight in the Lord, and he will grant you your heart's requests.

The Lord watches over the lives of the wholehearted; their inheritance lasts forever.| They are not put to shame in an evil time; | in days of famine they have plenty.

Turn from evil and do good, that you may abide forever; | For the Lord loves what is right, and forsakes not his faithful ones.

The salvation of the just is from the Lord; | he is their refuge in time of distress.| And the Lord helps them and delivers them;| he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him." (From Psalm 37)

If you do your part, be sure that God is doing His part for He is faithful.

Courage of Perseverance

"Father, in your love you have brought us from evil to good and from misery to happiness. Through your blessings, give the courage of perseverance to those you have called and justified by faith…." (Prayer at Mass)

Thank you dearest Father for bringing me from evil to good and from misery to happiness. How different my life is today from what it was when I did not know or accept your plan for my life. You brought me from AJSUA to SFJ. You freed me from ZAN and showed me the joy of living in your plan. Thank you. Give me the courage to persevere in the good life your plan has called me to. Amen!

Restore us

"Lord, restore us by these Easter mysteries. May the continuing work of our Redeemer bring us eternal joy…" (Prayer at Mass)

We need restoration from the wear and tear of everyday life. As we experience delays, disappointments and obstacles, our faith is challenged. We come to the altar of the word and the Eucharist to be nourished and restored.

Desires of the heart

"If you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for whatever you please and you will get it." (John 15: 7)

Today, I ask Jesus for the fullness of the Holy Spirit and the grace to surrender completely to Him. Ten years ago, when I reflected on the above scripture, I confided to my diary that my top need was for casa. How shifting are the desires of the heart. But in all the shifting sands that make up our desires, Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever. Isn't this comforting?

Living in Christ

"Live in me and let me live in you, says the Lord. My branches bear much fruit. (John 15: 4, 5)

We live in Christ through prayer, His word and the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist. Christ lives in us through our participation in group worship, principally the Mass and group prayer. The key to bearing fruit in the kingdom is this symbiosis with Jesus Christ: Living in Him and He living in us.

Instruments of God

"When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the Church and by the apostles and elders, and gave an account of all that God had done through them." (Acts 15: 4)

When Paul and Barnabas arrived in Jerusalem, the Church saw clearly how God had used them and acknowledged that they were instruments of God for evangelization. We too can be instruments of God if we are open to the Holy Spirit.

Avoid that Village

22

⁵ When they arrived at Bethsaida, they brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him.

23

He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. Putting spittle on his eyes he laid his hands on him and asked, "Do you see anything?"

24

Looking up he replied, "I see people looking like trees and walking."

25

Then he laid hands on his eyes a second time and he saw clearly; his sight was restored and he could see everything distinctly.

26

Then he sent him home and said, "Do not even go into the village." (Mark 8: 22 – 26)

 

The above miracle story contains a remarkable sequence of events:

1. Jesus led the blind man by the hand outside the village.
   
2. He put spittle on his eyes.
   
3. "Do you see anything?"
   
4. "I see people looking like trees and walking."
   
5. Then Jesus laid hands a second time on the man's eyes.
   
6. The man then saw clearly.
   
7. "Do not even go into the village."
   

Why these sequences of events?

Is it possible that the man's blindness was caused by a demonic influence inside the village? Could there have been resistance to the man's healing if performed in the village? Was there a danger of relapse if the man went back to the village?

One of the lessons of the above scripture is to avoid unhealthy geographies.

The Darkness of Unbelief

"Father of all holiness, guide our hearts to you. Keep in the light of your truth all those you have freed from the darkness of unbelief…." (Prayer at Mass)

God is the Father of all holiness. Satan is the father of all lies.

How does God guide our hearts to Himself? The 7-Way Plan and the 7-War Zones are my special gift. Every day, I am growing in understanding that all times and seasons serve God. Similarly, everything that I experience during the day serves God as He guides my heart to him.

Unbelief keeps the mind in darkness.

The Peace of Christ

"Peace I bequeath to you, my own peace I give you, a peace which the world cannot give, this is my gift to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid." (John 14: 27)

Peace is the special gift of Christ. How does one explain the peace of Christ? It is the quiet assurance that all is well, not matter what may be happening to the contrary. It is the certainty that there is a game plan. And everything is working according to that plan. It is the certain knowledge that "Perfect love casts out fear." And that love is God's perfect love for us here and now. The world is incapable of giving this peace. "Nemo dat quod non habet." Nobody gives that which he has not. The world does not have this type of peace and so cannot give it. This is the special gift promised the disciples by Jesus.

My Teacher

"But the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I have said to you." (Acts 14: 26)

The Holy Spirit is my Teacher.

The Holy Spirit is my aide de memoire. He reminds me of everything that I need to remember. What He does not remind of does not matter.

The Inevitability of Suffering

"Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead, and so enter into his glory." (Luke 24: 46)

Paul said: "We must all experience many hardships before we enter the kingdom of God." (Acts 14: 22)

There is an inevitability of suffering. It cannot be avoided. Everybody must be salted by fire. In the face of this existential fact, the best attitude towards suffering is the Christian one: trust and surrender. It is useless to kick against the goad.

Prepare for Action

"As for you, prepare yourself for action." (Jeremiah 1: 17)

Preparing for action:

That the man of God may be equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3: 17)

The equipping of saints for service (Ephesians 4: 12)

Be dressed in readiness with your lamps burning (Luke 12: 35)

Be ready in season and out of season (2 Timothy 4:2)

Be ready, for he is coming when you least expect (Matthew 24:44)

Be ready (Luke 12: 40)

I am ready to go to prison and death (Luke 22: 33)

I am ready to die for the Lord Jesus (Acts 21: 13)

 

Gird up your loins like a man (Job 38: 3; 40:7)

Gird up your loins (2 Kings 4: 29; 9:1)

Gird up your loins and speak to them (Jeremiah 1: 17)

Gird up your minds (1 Peter 1: 13)

Feet shod with preparation for the gospel (Ephesians 6: 15)

(Roget's Thesaurus of the Bible)

The Open Door

"On their arrival they assembled the church and gave an account of all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith to the gentiles." (Acts 14: 27)

Apostolic work is God's work. God opens the door.

"I have opened a door before you which no man will be able to close." (Revelation 3:8)

God opened the door for Paul and Barnabas to evangelize the gentiles. The door opened by God will remain open come what may.

Sure Hope

"Father, you restored your people to eternal life by raising Christ your Son from death. Make our faith strong and our hope sure. May we never doubt that you will fulfill the promises you have made…" (Prayer at Mass)

When man fell from grace and lost eternal life, God restored it to us through Jesus Christ.

We ask the Father to strengthen our faith in His word. Father, give us also sure hope.

When the Father asked me to wait on 122108, I have sure hope that I am waiting for something. May I never doubt that God will fulfill the promises made to me.

What are the causes of doubt?

• Experience of past hopes that were deferred
  
• Negative testimonies of others about unfilled hopes
  
• Listening to man instead of to God
  

What is the remedy to the problems of doubt?

• Realizing that everyman is unique and irrepeatable.
  
• Every experience is unique and irrepeatable.
  
• Which merits more credence? Word of God or word of man?

St. Philip and St. James

"Father, by the holy gifts we have received, free our minds and hearts from sin. With the apostles Philip and James, may we see you in your Son and be found worthy to have eternal life…." (Mass on the feast of Apostles Saints Philip and James)

Although we strive for holiness, we still struggle against sins. Hence the prayer to the Father to free our minds and hearts from sin.

The blood of Christ cleanses us from all sins.

"May we see you in your Son…." May we see your goodness, mercy, compassion, long-suffering, gentleness and all your attributes in your Son, Jesus.

Let us see the Father

"Lord, let us see the Father, and we shall be content. And Jesus said: Philip, he who sees me, sees the Father." (John 14: 8,9)

Jesus is the image of the invisible Father. He shares all the attributes of the Father:

• Omnipotence
  
• Omniscience
  
• Omnipresence
  
• Faithfulness
  
• Mercifulness
  
• Compassion
  
• Love
  
• Purity
  
• Long-suffering, etc
  

God is spirit. When you see the attributes of Jesus at work, you see those of the Father. When you hear the words of Jesus, you hear those of the Father.

Asking in the Name of Jesus

"Whatever you ask in my name I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it." (John 14: 13-14)

Reading my journal entry on the above scripture of ten years ago, I am amazed to see a dramatic change in the things I ask for today. In 1999, I asked for a place, financial security, a job and protection from evil. Today, I still have all these needs. But what I ask for is different. It is also short-term. At the beginning of everyday, I ask for inspiration and power that I need to meet the blessings and challenges of the day. I can date this shift from preoccupation from daily bread to spiritual bread to the third quarter of 2004 after the Men's ACTS Retreat in Dickinson. I learned from that retreat to live one day at a time. I hope that lesson is irreversible. That lesson has brought much happiness and stability to my life.

Jesus Christ answers our prayers in His name. He answers them in the fullness of His wisdom and love.