Spirit Over Mind

 

“…the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues…” – Acts 19:6

In my book The Happy Solo Kit (Tools and Supplies You Need to Survive Solo Parenting without Losing Your Marbles), there’s a section I called “Terrible Teens”. Like I said there, teens are more terrible than twos. It is at this stage when children develop their own minds and start thinking they know better than their parents.

It’s very difficult to give them your opinion about how to live their lives because they would always counter with a different take. Always!

But I remember one time when my elder son, then in high school, was heartbroken, and he asked to meet me in front of our church to talk. I wanted to help him but was already half-expecting his usual kontrapelo (going against the grain) reactions. So, on my way to the church, I sent up a quick prayer to the Holy Spirit for wisdom.

Our conversation was going the usual But-Mom-that’s-not-how-it-is way until he asked a difficult question. I didn’t know how to answer, but as I opened my mouth the words just flowed. Surprisingly, he quietly accepted the wisdom I was spouting. I knew then it was the Holy Spirit at work. Those words did not come from me as I felt clueless before I began.

So, Terrible Teens or Terrible Twos or whatever terrible stage our children are in, it always helps to ask the Holy Spirit to guide us in our parenting journey.

Praise Through the Pain

 

“Sing joyfully to the Lord, all the earth; raise your voices in songs of praise.” – Psalm 98:4

 

It’s easy to sing joyful praise songs when everything is right in your world, isn’t it? When you enjoy good health – Alleluia! When love reigns in your family and relationships are amiable – Glory to God! When abundant blessings flow like ticking a dream destination off your bucket list – Hosanna!

 

But when things go wrong, can you still praise God?

In 2012, I had the privilege of interviewing Connie Velasco, one of our Feast Alabang attendees, for Kerygma Magazine. Three years before she was diagnosed with breast cancer, her husband had died of lung cancer. She had undergone 12 surgeries, 32 radiation sessions and about 30 or so chemotherapy sessions. In a span of 7 years, she almost died 7 times and had been hospitalized more times than she can count. To her, it felt like a thousand already. Her doctors had turned her down for treatment as there was nothing more they could do. She also went through a time when even her finances were drained.

 

But every Sunday at The Feast, we’d see her in her wheelchair front and center praising God. Even if she’s in constant pain, she still strove to look her glamorous best. She even goes to her chemo sessions all made up complete with a fashionable hat, becoming an inspiration to the other cancer patients. And despite her condition, she still served in whatever way she could. For instance, she designed the magnificent stage for the Kerygma Conference 2011 Faith Stream. She praised God with song and service.

 

A lot has been said and written on why we should praise God during difficult times. Personally, praising God through my pain helps me to forget about me. I’m reminded how big my God is, bigger than my troubles. And I remember those other times I was broken, and His Amazing Grace mended me. Praising God is not about what we do for Him but about how it transforms us.

 

Lifequake

 

“I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” - Psalm 16:8

 

The strongest and scariest earthquake that I have ever experienced was the one on July 16, 1990. I was at the office, and everyone ran out in panic. The girls in our staff cried in fright and even our burly workers had horror etched on their faces. Good thing ours was just a one-story building. But the fear did not stop with the shaking. There was greater dread for those left at home. I rushed to check on our house and my family especially my children who were still small then.

 

Earthquakes are not the only things that shake our world. Dire events in our lives have the same shattering effect. A husband taken away from us too soon. A business failure. Debts piling up. Jobs lost. Relationships broken. A sick parent. Lifequakes.

 

Through all these lifequakes, I clung to Him who cannot be shaken. I must admit there were times when not just my world but also my faith was shaken. But praying and keeping my eyes on the Lord even if I was getting cross-eyed from the dizzying quakes held my world together. He is not just at my right hand, but He goes before me, and He protects my back.  God is my center.

*Keeping the Faith series #1

Word-ability

 

“A demoniac who could not speak was brought to Jesus, and when the demon was driven out the mute man spoke.” - Matthew 9:32-38

 

Today, I would like to thank the Lord for the gift of WORDS. For the ability to speak them and for the facility to write them.

 

Many times, we take this gift for granted. Imagine what it would be like if you become mute. How will you tell people your thoughts? How will you ask for help? How will you go about your daily life without the ability to communicate?

 

And many more times, we forget just how powerful our words are. They can crush dreams or build them. They can break hearts or fill them with joy. OUR WORDS HAVE THE ABILITY TO AFFECT OTHER PEOPLE.

 

So let us reflect on how we use words. Have we expressed love for our family, or have we demeaned them? Have we posted something on social media that spreads hope/knowledge, or have we bashed/spread fake news about someone we don’t even know personally?

 

And to the Marites (me included) and Tolits out there, do we really have to know and spread the latest???!!!

 

Whenever I feel a nasty comment or a gossip itching to escape my tongue, I try to recall the tale of the “Feathers in the Wind”. The story reminds me that once the contents of the feather pillow are scattered to the wind, it will be extremely hard to gather them all back. Such are our words.

Burning Hope

 

Lenten Reflection #17

 

“We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield.” – Psalm 33:20

 

A couple of days ago, I heard the phrase “burned by hope” for the first time. The term was new to me, but the meaning was familiar. You start with so much hope for your plans and your dreams only to be disappointed, frustrated and depressed when they don’t happen or don’t happen when you want them to. You end up not wanting to hope in anything anymore. My heart bled for those who have been burned by hope, me included.

 

Then it bled some more for Little James in my to-watch Jesus story yesterday. In The Chosen, he is portrayed by Jordan Walker Ross who is handicapped in real life. His having a limp was woven into the story including the fact that complete healing cannot happen. When Jesus sent the apostles two by two with the ability to heal the sick and lame, Little James wrestled with his emotions – anger, bitterness, resentment. Jesus had not healed him, but he was being asked to heal others.  

 

Jesus answered: “But think of the story that you have, especially in this journey to come if I don’t heal you, to know how to proclaim that you still praise God in spite of this; to know how to focus on all that matters so much more than the body; to show people that you can be patient with your suffering here on earth because you know you’ll spend eternity with no suffering…So many people need healing in order to believe in me, that doesn’t apply to you. MANY ARE HEALED OR NOT HEALED BECAUSE THE FATHER IN HEAVEN HAS A PLAN FOR THEM WHICH MAY BE A MYSTERY…when you discover yourself finding true strength because of your weakness and when you do great things in my name in spite of this, the impact will last for generations.”

 

That made quite an impact as many viewers who have not been healed and whose prayers have not been answered saw themselves in that scene.  

 

In the Aftershow, Jordan explained how he connected to Little James: “I’m a big believer that if anyone has anything they perceive as a weakness can find a way to use that as a strength and use it to inspire or uplift other people…it helped me to be more loving and accepting of who I am.”

 

But dashed hopes need not burn us. This morning, as I listened to the talks in Rise, The Feast Alabang’s Holy Week Recollection, my hope for the hopeless was rekindled and kept burning by these:

1.   1. The winds of adversity cannot break us if we bend like the palm tree.

“The righteous will flourish like a palm tree” – Psalm 92:12

2.   2. Just say “Yes” to Jesus. His grace will be enough to change your situation.

3.   3. We may not be in control of our situation, but we have a God who is.

 

And as we sang “Even Now” during worship, unbidden tears of hope and supplication trickled down to my face mask as I sent a mental hug to all those who have been burned by hope and to the Little Jameses of this world.

 

Even now when my hope is gone
Even now when there seems no way
Lord, I know You can do all things
You can roll the stone away
Raise me even on the fourth day…

 

References:      The Chosen Season 3 Episode 2 – “Two by Two”

                        The Chosen Aftershow S3 E2

                        Rise, The Feast Alabang’s Holy Week Recollection

                        “Even Now” by Veia Lim Viñas & Vernon Lim for Feast Worship

Do Not Be Anxious

 

Lenten Reflection #16

 

 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life…” – Matthew 6:25

 

John the Baptist: “In all that He said to those thousands of people, there was something just for you…for what you are going through. What was it? Something that stuck with you.”

 

Andrew: “Don’t be anxious.”

 

Andrew was me as I faced anxieties brought by our new situation at home. My 92-year old Papa’s yaya had to leave to attend to her own family. My elder son and I have to cope with taking care of Papa and doing the housework. I also have to contend with the expenses, documentation and dealing with government agencies related to some property matters. I was afraid the stress would trigger another amnesia episode like the one I had at the beginning of the pandemic.

 

It was timely that the Jesus story I watched was The Chosen’s “Homecoming” about the Sermon on the Mount. The conversation above happened when Andrew visited John in Herod’s dungeons. And just like Andrew, “Do not be anxious” was a bullseye for me.

 

Timelier still was that the Didache reflection for today was my own. It was about our family’s trials during the Christmas season of 2021. Let me share it here:

 

Many times, what we need to banish our anxieties is a reminder of how God had taken care of us in the past.  I remembered during that time what calmed me down was the vision of Jesus walking before me, beside me and behind me.

 

 

Reference:       The Chosen Season 3 Episode 1 – “Homecoming”

Refocus on God with a Capital G

 

Lenten Reflection #15

When Jesus saw him lying there and was aware that he had been ill for a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to get well?” – John 5:6

It’s been several days since I wrote my last reflection because my time has been consumed by other gods. By other gods, I don’t mean they’re all bad just “anything other than God” as Fr. Cris Cellan said in his homily several days ago.  The only god I’d categorize under bad would be the one who only collects estate taxes from small fry like us and leaves 203 billion uncollected (sorry my pocket just had to rant about that). In short, it’s been a hectic week.

Going back to Fr. Cris’ homily, he said, “Many times, though we are Christians, we worship different gods (career, material things, anything other than God). The gospel for that day was about the Pool of Bethesda which bore traces of pagan practices. The man who had been sick for 38 years was invoking a different deity to heal him which was tantamount to idolatry. “The call to repentance for this 40-day penitential journey is to refocus on Jesus who can truly heal us. Jesus alone is the Divine Healer. He alone can restore our relationship with the Father.”

Again, it’s another God-incidence that my self-assigned Jesus story for that day was about the Healing at the Pool of Bethesda (The Chosen Season 2 Episode 4 – “The Perfect Opportunity”). In the Bible Roundtable for that episode, the Bible experts were discussing Jesus’ question to the paralytic, “Do you want to be healed?” I was struck by what one of them said, “In our pastoral ministry there are people who enjoy poor health. They identify very much with their own weakness, their own failure. Some people prefer to stay where they are.” Sometimes, “the pool” or our other gods become part of our identity and we don’t want to leave it.

 

Maybe that’s a question we should ask ourselves this Lent. “Do you really want to be healed or are you using that weakness/illness/failure as a crutch, as a sympathy magnet?” If you sincerely want to get healed, refocus on Jesus, on the God with a capital G.

 

 

References:      Mass Homily – Fr. Cris Cellan: Pool of Bethesda

                        The Chosen Season 2 Episode 4 – “The Perfect Opportunity”

                        The Chosen Season 2 Episode 4 Bible Roundtable