a different one... (reflection for September 24, 2006)

When I reflected on this Gospel before going to sleep, I remembered the other reflections/homilies that I have read/heard. In their reflection, they all said the same similar thing which is the part all about a child and all that. As I read again the Gospel, I come to think that there are more messages than that of the main one. I realized that in reflecting, there are more things that you can discover, so one must not focus only in the main message of a Gospel but regards also the other words that are in there which may contain another message.

I have noticed that today's people crave for recognition in the good things and the achievements that they have done to themeselves and to other people. They tend to expect an award each time they have done something good. As Jesus says it, "they have already received their reward".

It's kinda funny cause people brag about something that they have done to other people. They show off the things that they are doing but in the end, they all end up being hated by the people. Politicians show advertissments that contains things that they have been doing. Some walls in the street contains the name of the person who donated it. At first it looked so stupid yet funny, but as i think of it more, I come to realize thatleaders have been serving the people in the wrong way and that they are making a fool of themeselves everytime they brag about the things they did. And now you call that leadership....

Do good in secret, and you will be rewarded in secret. For in serving the people, one must be humble..

key to Heaven... (reflection for September 17, 2006)

Some may think of a burden as a punishment or a consequence of one's wrong doings in the past. Some may even think that burdens are given by superior people that unders you such as a boss in work or a bully in a school. Some may even look at a burden as an ordinary thing that is happening to them. Perhaps they are uses to these kinds of things thats why they don't value it that much.

Many people have died in following Christ. Following Christ does not only mean that you have to listen to His words and teachings. Following Christ is more than attending masses and praying. It requires alot of faith and understanding. We must imitate His way of life, on how he humbled Himself to the people and on how strong His faith was. If we were to watch the movie "the passion", in the part where the guards gave Jesus the cross that He'll carry, Jesus did not gave up and just lie down in the ground, instead, Jesus hugged His cross.

The same thing we must do our own crosses, love it.

Too afraid... (reflection for September 10, 2006)

Many people tend not to listen nor speak, that is one root of why problems occur.

Try to imagine a teenage girl who doesn't listen to her parents. She has a boyfriend without the knowledge of the parents. Few weeks later, that girl became pregnant.

Try to imagine a priest who is not loyal to his vocation. He decided to meet girls knowing that he has offered his life completely to God. Few years later, he decided to leave the priestly vocation for a married life.

Try to imagine a politician who does not mind what the people says. He only listens to his arrogant and selfish self. Few months later, he was impeached from his position.

We do not know the fruit of our actions. The decisions that we make in our life may have a bad consequence in the future. Friends and families are always there to counsel us in what we do, sometimes, even the people that we don't know helps us. Through them, you can see that God really cares for you.

People oftentimes do not listen, that's why some may still fall to sin and darkness and by that, the devil does his job in making evil. The devil works in each one of us. He is in our conscience, he is in us, that's why we continue to disobey God and do evil cause we do not listen. I'm not only talking about listening that uses the physical ear, but also, let us listen through our hearts so that we may hear the true advice, the true calling, the true counsel.

Another thing is speech, we do not talk. How can someone listen if nobody talks? That is a another problem, when no one speaks. If you have done something wrong, how will you know that the thing you did was wrong until nobody comes to you and says it? My friends, we often see evil. Oftentimes when we see evil, we do nothing. For me, when we see someone doing evil, it is more evil not to tell him that what he is doing is wrong. I for one may sometimes be speechless everytime I see someone sin. I may be too afraid to tell him or I just really don't care, and I believe that this is a common problem that we fix by ourselves.

When we see someone doing evil, we sin more when we do not tell him that what he is doing is wrong.

Like the Pharisee... (reflection for September 3, 2006)

Encarta Dictionary defines a Pharisee as "somebody who is self-righteous or hypocritical, especially with regard to adherence to rules and formalities "

If we were to recall the previous Sunday Gospels, we would see that the Pharisees played a role in the public ministry of Jesus. They were murmuring at the back, asking questions and doubting the teachings of Jesus and the apostles. None of them were able to accept Christ's teachings.

My friends, we may be like a Pharisee, a hypocrite. We show to God and to other people a false personality while we keep the true ones barely hidden within us. The problem may lie within us, we regret our own selves, disgraceful of what we are and forget the the fact that we can change.

Never put into shame the real you. For the real you will be your guide to life.