School Bag

"Do to others as you would have them do to you." -Luke 6:31

I was told of a story which goes like this:

A Plane was about to crash in; there were 5 passengers on board, but only 4 parachutes.
The first passenger said, "I am President of this country, the chosen one. This country needs me, I can't afford to die." So he took the first parachute and left the plane.
The second passenger, said, "I will be the next president of this country, so people for sure don't want me to die." He took the second parachute and jumped out of the plane.
The third passenger, said, "I'm the Secretary of Social Welfare Department, a lot of people depend on me." So she grabbed the parachute next to her and jumped.
The fourth passenger, a good-hearted man, a former politician who really served well with honesty, said to the fifth passenger, a 10-year-old Boy, "I have lived a full life, and served my country the best I could. I will sacrifice my life and let you have the last parachute."
The Boy said, "That's okay, Sir. There's a parachute left for you. The President grabbed my SCHOOL BAG."

Doing good is making the greatest sacrifice for others to live!

Prayer:

Lord, thank you for giving us life by making the greatest sacrifice of all, the giving of your life on the Cross. Amen.

Macau, Hope For China and All The World

Ruins of St. Paul

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden." -Matthew 5:14 (ESV)

As I am in Macau for another visit and as I usually do, as I pray for Macau and for all those who live here I was so engrossed and saw a vision that one day, Macau will shine. Yes, she will shine as a light for the whole of China that will bring the light to all nations.

Macau is a city set on a hill. Macau becomes the seat of all missionary efforts for the whole of China. This is the entry point for missionaries who wanted to enter China and evangelize. Many convertions will happen in China, the Gospel will be brought to the Mainland China. Then China will be converted and it will be powerful not in ammunitions but in witnessing to the beauty of the Gospel. To the beauty of living in accordance with the principle and righteousness of God.

Filipinos working in Macau will witness to the faith. Many Chinese in Macau will become Missionaries (mostly members of the laity) to their own beloved Chinese land. We thank the Portuguese Missionaries and people for planting the seed of faith in this wonderful City.

The Flag of Macao

Many young people from this City will be called to be in love with the Christ and His Church that will bring witness to their new-found friendship with Him.

The Missionaries, the Religious based in Macau will be working much for it, but their labor will never be wasted.

I continue to pray for the fulfillment of this prophesy. In the name of the Risen Lord and with the witnessing of all who have found and experience His power in their lives. Macau will be converted and from here the whole of China and the world!


Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I continue to lift up to you this City, bless her and her wonderful people. Bless the efforts of your Church with her missionaries. Bless the labor of Bishop Jose Lai Hung-seng and his clergy. Bless our Filipino Workers here that they may be witnesses to their faith. Bless all those who have experienced the power of your resurrection that they may be empowered by the Holy Spirit to stand frim for the faith. Bless Oh, Lord the whole Chinese Nation. Oh, Mary, Help of Christians, pray for us. Saint Joseph, protector of the Church, be with us. Amen and Amen!

Giovanni Rubeo: Standing Firm for The Faith

Young Giovanni Rubeo holdinghis Bible. Photo from Google Search.

"Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong."
                                                                                  -1 Corinthians 16:13

The story of a young boy, a fifth grader at Park Lakes Elementary School in Laurendale Lakes, South Florida was so inspiring.

The young Giovanni Rubeo stood up for his faith when on April 8, 2014 while reading his Bible during the free time in School was asked by his teacher not to read it and asked to put it away from his desk. The teacher said that it was not allowed in the school as it is opposed to the curriculum for public schools. But young Giovanni refused. He stood up for his faith, for the word of God, for Jesus Christ.

Today, we need as many as Giovanni that even at a tender age never ashamed of his faith. Ready to fight for his religious rights.

Prayer: 
Lord, bless your people. Be with Giovanni. May many young people and even us who were once young be able to stand up for our faith in you. Amen.

What Is Christianity?

Christianity is not limited inside the Church.

"Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ." -Philippians 1:27

I read of an article somewhere in my researches. I forgot also the author. But I can't stop myself in sharing with you the article which is worthy of our reflections. This was the answer to my prayer when I asked God one time "What is Christianity? How can I be a Christian at all times?"

In home it is kindness,

in business it is honesty,

and in society it is courtesy.

Toward the unfortunate it is compassion,

toward the weak it is help,

toward the wicked it is resistance,

toward the strong it is trust,

toward the fortunate it is congratulations,

toward the penitent it is forgiveness, 

and toward God it is reverence and love.

Prayer:

Lord help me live my Christianity at all times, anywhere. Amen.

The Four R's in Prayers

 "The LORD is near to all them that call on him." -Psalms 145:18

Sharing with you the four R's in prayers. They are Recognition, Request, Reconciliation and Reliance.

When we pray, Recognize that everything comes from the Lord. We Request all we need in this life. We Reconcile everything with God, especially when we fail or fall. And we Rely on God's power and providence.

Remember this! 

Prayer:

Lord, let me always recognize your loving presence in prayer. Amen.

The Experience of You

Spending quality time with family is a great experience of you.

"Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." -Ephesians 6:4 (NIV)

In one of the Lenten Recollections I gave, I will never forget a father who shared his realizations. He is a businessman. He narrated that he worked for almost 18 hours everyday. He even bring home his works at home.

Because of so many workloads, he lost communications and rapport with his own family. He went to bed with his wife sleeping already. He do not have time to play with his children. 

He said that he did all those because he just wanted to buy everything for his family. The luxurious things in life he wanted to offer them. "I have always dreamed of giving them anything that the money can buy." He said.

He added, "I got so involved in so many works that I forgot about one essential thing they wanted most. It was me, it was a father who was always there when they needed me most, to experience my love and support."

To all of us and to all parents, most of the time yes, we are working for our families. For them to have everything, but we also need to be reminded that spending quality time with them is a great experience of you whom they wanted most. Our presence, our love, the playing of games, the stories to tell are the things they needed most.

Prayer:

Lord, help us and be with us always. May we continue to fill the need of us of our loved ones. Amen.

The Burning Ember

The Blazing Embers

"For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” 

                                                                                      -Matthew 18:20 (ESV)

I heard of a story shared by our Retreat Master in one of the retreats that I attended. 

A member of a certain church, who previously had been attending services regularly, stopped going. After a few weeks, the pastor decided to visit him. It was a chilly evening. The pastor found the man at home alone, sitting before a blazing fire.

Guessing the reason for his pastor’s visit, the man welcomed him, led him to a comfortable chair near the fireplace and waited. The pastor made himself at home but said nothing. In the grave silence, he contemplated the dance of the flames around the burning logs.

After some minutes, the pastor took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it to one side of the hearth all alone. Then he sat back in his chair, still silent. The host watched all this in quiet contemplation. As the one lone ember’s flame flickered and diminished, there was a momentary glow and then its fire was no more.

Soon it was cold and dead. Not a word had been spoken since the initial greeting. The Pastor glanced at his watch and realized it was time to leave, he slowly stood up, picked up the cold, dead ember and placed it back in the middle of the fire. Immediately it began to glow, once more with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it.

As the pastor reached the door to leave, his host said with a tear running down his cheek, “Thank you so much for your visit and especially for the fiery sermon. I shall be back in church next Sunday.”

Two lessons I learned. First, the greatest sermon will always be a silent sermon. The words that can be heard from my actions as a priest. The greatest evangelization is by silently witnessing to the Gospel of Christ. Second, we need a community where we can be with in praying and worshiping God. We need a community whom we can journey with.

Prayer:

Lord, thank you for using simple actions in waking us up and in warming up our faith in you. Amen.

The Wiper and The Rain

The wiper clears the windshield.

"Who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds." -Titus 2:14 (NASB)

One rainy evening when Mark Tayo was driving me home and as I was watching the movement of the wiper as it clears the windshield, I suddenly thought of something.

The rain is like sin and the wipers are like God wiping away our sins. As the rain kept on coming, I also thought that indeed man keeps on sinning, too, but God keeps on forgiving us.

May this truth encourage us not to be afraid to ask God's forgiveness. WE avail of the Holy Sacrament of Confession and there we will experience the love of God that wipes away our sins.

Prayer:

Lord, thank you for always forgiving us. For always embracing us with your love and mercy. Amen.

Archbishop Tang Yee Ming and the Holy Mass

The Coat of Arms of Archbishop Dominic Tang Yee-Ming

"Do this in remembrance of me." -Luke 22:19 (NIV)

The tomb of the Holy and Eucharistic Archbishop of Canton

at the Mission Sta. Clara de Asis in Sta. Clara, California

where he was buried upon his death in Stamford, Connecticut

at the age of 87.

When in Macau, SAR China, in one of my many visits there, I got the chance of talking a very devout Catholic old lady. She was from Canton in the Mainland China and she was just in Macau also for a short visit. Thanks to a Chinese friend who translated our conversation. The lady told of of a story about a certain Jesuit Archbishop named Dominic Tang Yee Ming. He was born in Hong Kong on May 13, 1908.

She said that this Holy and Eucharistic Archbishop inspired most of them to love Jesus in the Holy Mass. This is her story about the late Archbishop of Canton.

Archbishop Dominic was arrested on February 5, 1958 and was imprisoned for twenty-two years, the charges were his loyalty to the Catholic Church and the Pope and his faith in Jesus Christ.

He was in put for five years in a solitary cell. A dark and windowless cell. After five years of confinement in his prison cell, the guards told him that he was free to do whatever he wanted. He could also leave the prison cell for some few hours. The guards then asked the good Archbishop what he wanted.

"Would it be hot food or a hot shower?" He was asked. "Or would it be a telephone call to priests or family members?" "Do you want to read news papers?", were the other questions. They wanted to know what he wanted to do.

But the good Archbishop replied, "I would like to celebrate Holy Mass."

The Archbishop, despite being imprisoned because of his faith in Jesus, still wanted to show how much he loved Him. May like him, we be able to celebrate the Holy Mass with all our hearts to show our love and our faith in Christ, our Lord.

Prayer:

Lord, thank you for your loving presence in the Holy Eucharist. May we continue celebrating your love in the Holy Mass. Amen.

Love Your Parents

Mark Anthony Tayo embracing Mama Irene on Mothers' Day.
Offering her flowers with a greeting on his arms.

"“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you." -Exodus 20:12

As I was reading posts on my Facebook Page, I was touched by a photo posted by Mara Clarisse N. Tayo. A photo of his Kuya Mark embracing Mama Irene, offering her flowers and inscribing "Happy Mothers' Day" on his arm. What a very touching scene. A son with much love for his mother. A son who despite his shortcomings was able to make "bawi" for everything to his mama. A son whom at first glance seems to be so tough was able to show and express his love for his mother with a tender kiss and a tight embrace.

Dear friends, I am sharing this to all for us to realize that indeed, we need to do all these, we need to express our love, we need to offer them flowers, we need to make then feel loved, we need to take care of them while they are still with us. We need to show them respect. We need to make them happy.

I saw some problems with many of us. WE are afraid to express our feelings towards our parents, we are afraid or sometime ashamed to say "I love you", or give them gifts. Then when they are gone, we make all the efforts to give them the beautiful things that they do not have while they were still with us.

Dear friends, when our parents are gone, even we put all the beautiful flowers around their coffin, they won't appreciate its beauty. Even we shout how much we love the, they won't hear it anymore. Even we give them the tightest hug and the most tender kiss, they won't feel them anymore.

But more than anything, more than material things, showing them that we are taking our lives seriously and doing thins to better our future are the greatest show of our love and respect to our parents. No parents want to die seeing their children without the best life. No parents want to leave without seeing or without any assurance that their children will be secured.

Let us learn from Pareng ko Mark Anthony Tayo. Express your love to your parents.

Prayer:

Lord, continue to inspire us through people with a great big heart for their parents. Teach us to be more expressive in our love towards our parents. Amen.

A Mothers' Day Prayer

With my beloved Nanay, Mrs. Vicky Berber-Manabat

"Who can find a virtuous woman? She is far more precious than jewels... 
Strength and honor are her clothing, and she can laugh at the time to come. 
She opens her mouth with wisdom, and loving instruction is on her tongue. 
She watches over the activities of her household and is never idle. 
Her sons rise up and call her blessed. 
Her husband also praises her: 
Many women are capable, but you surpass them all! 
Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord will be praised." -Proverbs 31:10, 25-30

I would like to share with you a prayer for Mothers on the day we honor them. I would like to offer this prayer for my own mother, my beloved Nanay, Mrs. Vicky Berber-Manabat. I would like to invite you all to pray this prayer for your own mothers, too.

 Let us pray:

I thank you God for the gift of my mother.

I thank you that she gave me life and nurtured me all those years.

She gave me my faith, helping me to know you and your ways.

She taught me how to love and how to sacrifice for others.

She taught me that I was just okay to cry and that I should always tell the truth.

Bless her with all the graces that she needs and which you want to give her today as I honor her.

Help her to feel that she is very precious in your eyes especially today and to know that I lover her very much.

Please give her strength and courage, compassion and peace.

Bless her , O Lord on this very special day dedicated to her with your love. In Jesus' mighty name. Amen.

What's In Your Heart?

"Your word I have hidden in my heart..." -Psalm 119:11

I heard of a story about two friends who were walking on a busy streets of the metropolis. One was showing the place to his friend from the province.
Suddenly the guy from the province said, "Listen my friend, I can the birds chirping. Wow! How beautiful!"

"Oh, that's crazy!", the city guy said. "People here do not hear birds singing. Especially with this noise."

The friend from the province pulled out his handkerchief and some coins from his pocket fell to the ground. Immediately people scrambled to pick up the coins.
People really do hear what is in their hearts. 

What's in your heart my friend? Is it the words of God? Or something? If we have God's words in our hearts, we will always be able to listen to Him despite the noise of sin.

Prayer:

Lord, may your Divine Word remain in me and in my heart. Amen.

Kuyang Johnson and Ate Jhacky Manabat: Christian Parents

Kuyang Johnson and Ate Jhacky Manabat with son Inigo Ezekiel.

“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” –Proverbs 22:6

When I became active in the Social Media specifically in Facebook, I started knowing people, much more I became interested in meeting relatives who are unknown to me. I barely knew Kuya Johnson Manabat, the only thing I knew about him was he is a news anchor over DZMM Teleradyo. Whenever people ask me how I am related to him, I always answer the we just have the same surname and we just both came from the same province--Nueva Ecija.

Kuyang Johnson became a friend in FB and he is very accomodative, then Ate Jhacky his wife became my friend, too. To be honest, Ate and I communicated much than Kuyang because of his very hectic schedules in reporting.

We became somehow familiar to each other and at last we were able to see and meet each other last May 3, 2014, during the anticipated celebration of my 7th Sacerdotal Anniversary.

After the Holy Mass, Inigo, their son approached me and make "mano" in which I blessed him and called him by name. He smiled at me saying "Kilala nyo po ako?". During the short program, Inigo went to me, we shared stories, I asked him questions and he asked me, too. Inigos' gestures and responses with "po" and "opo" made me think that Kuyang and Ate must be  good parents. They must be teaching Inigo all those things.

In another incident while looking at my FB account, as I usually answer messages, prayer requests and inquiries I came across an album of Inigo giving foods to people along the streets. "It is something", I told myself. The whole family doing what I am also doing. The "Street Presence Apostolate" as I called it.

Kuyang Johnson and Ate Jhacky Manabat are very silent persons. They do things as parents in quiet. But they are parents to be emulated. They are true christian parents worthy of emulation. I hope, many parents will be inspired by this wonderful couple leading their child in doing good. God bless you Kuyang and Ate! Kudos to both of you! Inigo will be somebody in the future because of a very good training you are giving him!

Prayer:

Lord, I thank you for the gift of Kuyang and Ate with Inigo. They are inspiration to me. Lord, continue to bless them. Embrace them and be their protection. Keep them in love and in your peace. May all families be a seedbed of goodness. Amen.