Grow Old, Grow Good

Grow Old, Grow Good!

"Do not neglect to do good..." 
                 -Hebrews 13:16 (ESV)

There was a woman who lives for one hundred years. During her birthday celebration, she was asked to share her secret to a long and happy life.

She shared a very simple, yet straight and worth reflecting words. She said:

"This is what I consider a recipe for sweet long and happy life. I do not have dirty mind. I do not have a foul mouth. I just do good deeds."

Let us learn from her. Take that recipe to heart.

Prayer:
Lord, help me to grow old, to grow good. Amen.

Walk For Christ

Blessed Alfonso Maria Fusco
Founder of the Congregation of Sisters of St. John the Baptist

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. "   -Ephesians 2:10


I was told that it was during the ancient Russian Empire that rich landlords owned vast tracts of lands. They usually hired people to guard the boundaries of their properties. When these hired guards encountered other guards, they normally asked "For whom do you walk?". This is to be identified to whom they were working and the limits of the properties.

One day, a priest was walking towards a sick person to be anointed. A guard met him, not knowing he was a priest, he was asked, "Sir, for whom do you walk?"

The priest, surprised with the question answered reflectively, "I walk for Jesus!"

For whom do we walk? Do we walk for Jesus?

Prayer:
Lord, let me walk for you. Amen.

The Farmer

Farmers harvesting taken in Nueva Ecija. Photo by Michael Sinjin A. Pineda

"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

                                                                                                       -James 4:7 (ESV)

There was a farmer approached by a beggar asking for some rice. The devil came and whispered to the farmer. "Don't give him. When you give, he will ask for more."

The farmer decided to give him rice. The devil again tempted him, and even suggested, "Okay, you can give but give him the inferior rice."

The farmer chose the first-class kind of rice he has for the beggar. Again the devil suggested just a cup of rice to the beggar. No more or even less.

The farmer replied to the devil, "if you will not stop tempting me I will even give the best and half of my harvest to the beggar." And the devil fle from him.

May we learn from the farmer, like him we can always resist devil's temptation! Pray always and do good to people!

Prayer:

Lord, please give me strength to resist temptation. Amen.

New Life

My friend Mark Anthony N. Tayo who recognized God's goodness in bringing

him to a newness of life. He recognizes God's unbounded love for him.

"Behold, I am making all things new...Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." -Revelations 21:5 (ESV)

Sharing another SMS (text message from my friend Mark Anthony N. Tayo which he sent me on October 10, 2013 at 11:20 in the evening:

"wow grabe ka naman ohhh, bakit ganyan ka mag-isip at magsalita? kinilabutan ako promise...napakalalim at napakatalinghaga...at napakamakabuluhan mong tao..."

(wow, you're really great ohhh, why you think and speak that way? I have goosebumps promise...it was so meaningful...you're such a good person...)

The following touched me most again:

"basta pasalamat talaga ako sa'yo at kay Papa Lord kasi binigyan n'yo ako ng 2nd life...meaning patay na ako nung wala ka pa. Eh dumating ka kaya eto!! I'm back at buhay na buhay para ipakitang may kabutihan pa din talaga at gawin ang mga mabubuting gawain na 'di ko pa nagagawa..."

(I am very thankful to you and to the Lord because you have given me 2nd life...meaning I have been dead when you came...you're now here so this is it!! I'm back and alive to show the goodness and do the the good things I wasn't able to do...)

I shared this because I am really touched by his recognition of the goodness of God. He acknowledged the life which out of God's goodness restored in him. I am happy that somehow, God made me an instrument to bring my friend into life and hope again.

Remember this, there are souls that as a priest I cannot bring closer to God but you my dear readers can! There are souls that can only be saved through you. Let us be open to God and his grace, we might be His instruments of bring others back to life again.

Prayer:

Lord, thank you for using me to bring life to a friend. Please continue guiding him towards the newness of life. Amen.

A Prayer From A New-Found Friend

Mark Anthony N. Tayo in one of his photo shoots. 

"Be thankful in all circumstances..." -1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NLT)

Yesterday, I wrote a story about my new-found friend, whom I first thought was not a good company but after our first-ever conversation I found out that he is a man of hope and deep aspirations.

His name is Mark Anthony N. Tayo.

After he read the story I wrote about him, he called me crying thanking me for the write-up. He told me that he was able to know himself well. And I assured him that what I have written was the person that I saw and experience in him. I thought, the conversation and the so many "thank you's" finished when we ended the call. But at 07:08 in the evening of November 9 (the same day I have written the story) he sent me an SMS (text message) which made me cry, too. A message that inspired me more. And I would like to share it here as it was:

"sa simula 'di ko alam kung sino ka at kung saan ka nanggaling, pero eto na, nagkakilala na tayo. Now, sasabihin ko sayo..Ronaldo Berber Manabat..maraming salamat sa pagsagip mo sa buhay ko."

What touched me more was the following which was part of his message to me, a prayer:

"Lord, salamat po kasi 'di kayo nagpapabaya sa taong alam mong kaya pa at may pag-asa pa. Na need lang ng isang kasama at katulong sa paglalakbay. Papa Lord salamat po sa pareng zenki ko...ito naman po ang dasal ko para sa kaibigan at maestro ko. Lord 'wag nyo po s'yang pababayaan, mas lalo n'yo pa po s'yang pagpalain para mas marami pa s'yang matulungan na kagaya ko. Alam ko pong may maiaambag ako sa kanya na sana magiging masaya ang bawat isa sa amin simula po ngayon. 'Di na po ako makakalimot at palagi na po akong magdadasal at itutuwid ko na po ang lahat ng kamalian ko. Tao po akong nagkakamali kaya Lord, patawad po sa mga kasalanan na nagawa ko. Mahal na mahal kita Panginoon. 'Wag mo din po pabayaan ang aming mga pamilya. Salamat po. Amen."

Oh, what a very inspiring and touching message and prayer! I thought I was the one who inspired him, but with his gratefulness to what happened, to our conversations and to my written story about him, but with this he was the one who inspired me and keep on inspiring me to touch more lives.

Now, I can really say to people that this friend, actually a new-found friend is a man not just of hope and aspirations. But a man with a true heart that loves and appreciates the goodness of others. He is a man with a grateful heart. A man of sincerity.

Pareng Mark, thank you for the inspiration. We journey together. I texted you back and you know my answer to this. Keep reading it and keep the faith!

You made me more proud of you! 

Prayer:

Lord, thank you for inspiring me. You really know when I needed it most. Thank you for sending me people. Thank you, Lord for the gift of persons, for the gift of friends. Bless him and all my friends, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Father, Will You Marry Me?

The wedding of my Utol Engr. Andrew dela Cruz and Tin-Tin Palad which
I officiated and witnessed. Note. This is not the wedding of a friend who called.

"The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever."

                                                                                                        -Isaiah 40:8 (NIV)

I don't usually answer phone calls with unregistered numbers in my cellphone. But I do not know what moved me to answer a phone call with unregistered number one morning.

When I answered it, a guy from the other line greeted me and said, "Father, will you marry me?" 

I was shocked with the proposal! Only to found out that the guy was a schoolmate way back in my high school days. What he really wanted to asked was If I can solemnize his marriage with a long time girlfriend. Of course I accepted the invitation.

In the evening of the same day, in my usual reflections, I realized something. I told myself, I should have answered him with a big yes when he said, "Father, will you marry me?

I realized something. Faithfulness is needed for a marriage to last forever. When I was ordained, I am indeed married to the Church. The conversation reminded me that I should always be faithful to the Church. I must always be faithful to my priesthood.

All of us Christians must be faithful to our baptismal promises. We must all be faithful to Christ.

Prayer:

Lord, thank you for your faithfulness. Help us and give us the grace to be faithful to you. Amen.

Look At The Inside

I learn to judge not the person by appearance.

"There is a future, and your hope will not be cut off." -Proverbs 23:18 (ESV)

Sometime in August I met a guy whom when you look at him at a first glance you will be afraid to approach him because of his tattoos, but on a second look, seeing him embracing a little child will make you think that he must be good.

By providence, I met him again after more than a month, and was able to have a quite long conversation with him. I doubted his intentions of talking to me, but as we go along, he opened up things about his life, his love for family especially for his mother. He shared his realizations, wonderful realizations. He shared his thoughts on faith.

I told myself he is not just a guy. He is a guy with goal. He is a guy who needs companion on his journey. I see hope in him.He listens well and take everything in his heart and mind. I saw tears in his eyes.

I realized one thing, I should not look at the external appearance of a person, I should look at what is inside his heart. He is good. there is hope. He is a man of love and aspirations for his family.

I pray that he may find the way towards the realization of his goal in life. I hope I can journey with him at least through prayers.

Ah, he asked me, if he can be counted among my friends. And I said, Yes!

Pareng Marky, this is for you. Remember what I told you? God is making ways for us to be closer to him, He will make ways for us to reach our goal. That is if we will give him a chance in our life. That is if our goal is also clear to us. Keep the faith pare!

Prayer:

Lord, thank you for a new-found friend. I lift him up to you, please encourage him more. Inspire him more. Bless him and his family. Amen.