Understanding Temptation

Temptation is defined as the enticement to evil, seduction to sin, which leads us away from God. As humans, we are all facing this challenge, even Jesus, being truly human himself was tempted not only once but throughout his ministry here on earth, but unlike us he triumphed over it, he is without a sin.

Temptations in life is there to test our ability to hold fast to Christ's call. Let us remember that it is only the strenght comes from God that we can overcome our own temptations in our lives and to persevere to do good in order to follow Christ more closely.

Reflection:

• Reflect on those times when you faced temptation. Identify what or whom caused you to be severely tempted.
• How did you coped with the temptations?
• Make your own prayer to Jesus, asking for his grace and help for you to overcome your very own temptations in life.

Take Up Your Cross and Follow Me

In this Sunday’s gospel, Jesus says “Whoever who wishes to come after me must deny

himself, take up his cross and follow me”. This poses a great challenge, especially for us Christians since it is a clear reminder from Christ himself how the cross is essentially part of or lives as faithful and followers of the Lord.

You may ask, but what is the cross really all about?

Well, we may define the cross in so many different ways. During the time of Jesus, it is the greatest persecution; the instrument for the capital punishment of death for a criminal. It is like the silya elektrika during that time. And so it is not surprising that still, even Christians attributes the meaning of the cross to what is painful, or what causes death. You may consider it as poverty, a burden like sickness, a tragedy, or sorrow. It is far away from our own idea of what is pleasing, something that we dare not to have or experience, and yet here comes Christ asking us to take up our cross and follow Him! You may also ask, is Christ being sadistic here or what? Or simply ask why, what for?

Let us remember that Christ Jesus himself was not spared from the cross himself. He carried the cross’ burden even if He does not deserve it. He carried the cross in silence, uncomplaining, embracing it even- for the sake of our salvation. And so Christ gave a new meaning to the cross. More than poverty, pain, sorrow and death, it means denying of oneself for the sake of someone you love. It means becoming selfless, to lose one’s life for other’s sake. And so we can say that the cross can actually be our own selves, when we are being too selfish, pre-occupied with our own concerns, when what we only care about is me, myself and I. When we choose ourselves, than God, we become our own heavy cross, which burdens us and preventing us to follow Christ.

And so today, Christ challenges us to do the same: to give our very selves to others and to love big time; yes, to love even the unlovable. But of course, Christ is very realistic about it, it is not easy. Remember the when He was in Gethsemane; He himself showed some hesitation. But in the end, He willingly accepted it as the will of His Father. Today, we look up to the cross not a symbol of persecution like what it is really meant to be, but a symbol of Christ’s love and salvation, of Him giving up His life so that we may live. . It takes a lot of courage and great love for one to just what Christ did, and so we ask for the same grace of courage and great love so that we may be able to take up our own cross and follow him

So are you ready to take up your cross?

Jesus Walks on Water

10 August 2008. 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Matthew 14, 22-33 Faith: Jesus Walks on Water

It seems that the contemporary world of today is in dire need of security, which brings us anxiety and restlessness within. We are constantly anxious of what the future holds, so that most of you may agree and most self-help gurus will tell us: plan and take charge of your life!

The night Pope John Paul II was elected as new pope; his first words were “Do not be afraid”. In his book Crossing the Threshold of Hope, the Pope said that Christ sensed and in fact had known that we are anxious people. That we are afraid, so that He kept addressing this invitation many times in the gospels, when he said “Courage! It is I; don’t be afraid.”

Today once again we have heard how his disciples were terrified themselves perhaps because of the wind that was against them, and found consolation only when they recognized Christ and heard His words “Do not be afraid”. You may ask, of what should we not be afraid? The pope answered that we should not fear the truth about ourselves: our own sinfulness and unworthiness. This is what Peter discovered himself when Christ called him so that he said to Jesus, “Depart from me Lord, for I am a sinful man” And Christ answered him the same words, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men”. He knows our anxiety about our own selves and still He comes and continuously invites us to take courage, “Do not be afraid!”

Today we too are invited to take courage and trust in His words of consolation. When we are being tossed and buffeted by the harsh winds in life. When we feel lacking of security. When we do not recognize Him working in our lives, let us take comfort in His words, “Do not be afraid!”

Father we thank you for your words of consolation and invitation for us to take courage! Teach us to trust you and be not afraid to open up and respond generously to your loving will.

jOURNAL # 3: Jesus, Our Elder Brother

YOU are the younger brother.
JESUS, is your elder brother who gave up his life and left a trail of light for us so that we may find our way back home.

Even now, your father is waiting for you.

Thanks to Jesus, our Elder Brother, wherever we find ourselves in this world, there will always be light because Jesus, our Elder Brother, has been there.

Thanks to Him, our Elder Brother, God's first born, no place is so far or so dark that it falls beyond the love of God. Its time to go home. [1]

Points of Reflection:

• Go back to the story of the Parable of the Elder Brother. What struck you most in the story? What did you feel after hearing the story?
  Now, look into your own life, how is your relationship with your Elder Brother, Jesus? Had there been times when you somehow felt you are in the shoes of the younger brother? Bring this into prayer.


• How about your family? How's your relationship to your parents? To your siblings being an elder or younger brother/sister? The Elder Brother gave a perfect example how we must relate and show our love to our families. Are you willing enough to follow his example? If not what prevents you? Perhaps you may want to spend some time reflecting over these points in personal prayer.


• It is helpful to keep track of our prayer experiences by keeping a prayer journal. Note down all your feelings, significant movements, and the image of God you met after the prayer period.
  "Wherever I go, I will leave a lighted candle. So even if I don't find him, he will know I've been there. Should he get lost, he will find a trail of light that can lead him back home."
  
  - Elder Brother
  ____________________________
  
  [1] Go, Johnny C., SJ, The Parable of the Elder Brother, Jesuit Communications Foundation, Inc., 2006.

Good News Naman Please!

6 July 2008 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Zechariah 9, 9-10; Psalm 145; Romans 8, 9-13; Matthew 11, 2-30

25 At that time Jesus said in reply, “I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. 26 Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him. 28 “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”

It’s been scary to read the newspaper lately. For how many days, it was all bad news. The recent typhoon Frank left the country devastated, killing hundreds of people and hundreds more homeless. World oil price soars to $145 a barrel last Thursday, the highest in history and gone up to more than 50% than its price last year. Last month, our inflation [1] rate hit 11.4%, the highest in 14 years. From one bad news to another (well, at least thanks to Pacquiao, who somehow made us forget the bad news for a little while) you may wonder, how long this will this last. Will it ever go to an end?

In today’s gospel, we hear Jesus’ consoling words …“Come to me all, who are burdened and I will give you rest”. Jesus knows how burdened people we are, because He shared our humanity and even embraced our poverty. During His time, His people were also burdened with poverty, heavy taxes to pay to the Romans and to the Jewish temples and violence is also everywhere. And so we believe that He understands how troubled we are, more than anyone else. Jesus’ clearly invites us today, to come to Him and rest in Him especially during these tough times. He invites us to trust Him even more by offering our difficulties, our sadness, pains and struggle so He can give us comfort and rest. And that I think is the good news, amidst all the bad things happening around us. That God, who is much bigger good news than all the bad news combined, is out there, sympathizing with us and will never leave us no matter what. We just have to keep the faith and pray even more.

And so let us continue to pray for one another, for our country and especially for our poor brothers and sisters who suffers most during this time.

---

[1] Inflation measures how fast overall prices are rising over a specific period, usually a year. The higher the inflation, the faster the prices are rising, Inquirer Research, PDI, Sat. July 5, 2008

Journal # 2: Watcha' Still Looking For?

During Jesus’ time, His own people are very much troubled in their life. Like what we are experiencing today, they are living in a troubled world. There is so much poverty, corruption and taxes to pay! (They need to give taxes both to the Romans and the high priests of the temple). And so they are hoping for someone to save them. Perhaps a he is like a superhero, a spiderman or superman like figure. He could also be a king, or an influential person, or a soldier. A guy named, Prophet Isaiah even described this person as a “suffering servant”, but they are really not sure about his identity! But one thing is for certain, they call Him the Messiah – the Chosen One, as prophesized by the prophets of the old. Atlast, then came the Messiah, it is Jesus, the son of a carpenter named Joseph. No wonder they were not able to recognize Hiim because he came from a poor family, in a very simple and humble home. The Messiah has come, but sadly they were not able to recognize Him. And so they continue to become troubled and waiting, and still waiting for the One who already is with them.

Points of Reflection

• Reflect over God’s great love for us when He gave His only Son to us, Jesus, Who humbled himself to share our humanity and even our poverty.
• Had there been times when you yourself did not recognize Jesus present in your life? Say a prayer of thanksgiving to Jesus, who is our own superhero, our savior who came to the world to save and remind us of His great love you and for me.
• It is helpful to keep track of our prayer experiences by keeping a prayer journal. Note down all your feelings, significant movements, and the image of God you met after the prayer period.

Journal # 1: Hesus na Aking Kapatid

Hesus Na Aking Kapatid

Eduardo Hontiveros, SJ

Hesus na aking kapatid sa lupa nami'y bumalik

Iyong mukha'y ibang-ibahindi kita nakikilala

Tulutan mo aking mata,mamulat sa katotohanan

Ikaw Poon makikilala sataong mapagkumbaba

Hsus na aking kapatid, putikin man ang Iyong sapin

Punit-punit ang Iyong damit

Nawa Ika'y mapasa-akin

Hesus na aking kapatid

Sa bukid ka nagtatanim,o sa palengke rin naman

Ikaw ay naghahanap-buhay

Tulutan mo aking mata,mamulat sa katotohanan

Ikaw Poon makikilala, Ikaw Poon makikilala,

Ikaw Poon makikilala sa taong mapagkumbaba

Points for Reflection:

• Reflect over this song. What is the song all about? Pray to Jesus what does he want to tell you about it.
• In your Journal, make your own version of the song. Perhaps you can think and pray about how is Jesus make us feel His presence with the people around you. It could be your parents or your best friend or the people in your community or school.
• You may also want to say a thanksgiving prayer for them.

Prayer:

Jesus, thank you for always manifesting your love with the people around us. Thank you for always being with us. Amen

Who is Jesus?

Christianity is not just about a 'blind faith'. It is a faith based on FACT, and the Bible actually gives us an overwhelming evidence that Jesus lived and walked the surface of the earth 2000 years ago and even Roman and Greek historians will agree! One historian reported ..."A man called Christ suffereed the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of Pontius Pilate". Faith teaches us that Christ indeed was more than a man, but a God-Man who came to the world to save us, and liberate us from our sin.

But who really is JESUS?

JESUS IS FULLY HUMAN!

• He got human body, got tired and hungry like us! (See John 4v6 and Matthew 45v2)


• He had Human emotions, He got angry and yes...even got sad! (See Mark 11v15-17 and John 11v32-36)
  
• He had human experiences too! He was tempted (Mark 1v13)...Learnt (Luke 2vs46-52) and was Obedient (Unlike most of us!) see Luke 23vs51-52

But was he more than a Man?
Jesus said: I AM...

• The Bread of Life! (John 6v35)
  
• The Light of the World! (John 8v12)
  
• The Way, the Truth and the Life! (John 14v6)


• He also claim that He can actually FORGIVE OUR SINS! Wow! and God can do that! Right?

and Jesus also claimed to be:

• The Messiah (Meaning, the Annointed or Chosen one) (See Mark 14vs61-62)
  
• The Son of God (See Mark 14vs61-62 and John 8v58)

Given all of these evidences, what do youy think of Jesus?

Was He a Mad-Man?A Looney? Telling people weird stuffs like he is a bread etc.? (Well some people during His time thought He actually was a mad man. In fact, he was put to death because of this.
Was He a Bad-Man? That He just made all of it because he finds it very funny and laughing right now because He made us believe of his big joke!
Or was He a God-Man? Who came to the world to save us. Because He loves you and me!It's really up to you!

"Either this man was and is the Son of God, or ealse madman, or something worse''-C.S. Lewis
Source: Youth Alpha Manual

Be Not Afraid!

22 June 2008 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Jer 20, 10-13; Psalm 69; Rom 5, 12-15; Matthew 10, 26-33

Therefore do not be afraid of them. Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known.
What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.
And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.
Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father's knowledge.
Even all the hairs of your head are counted.
So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.
But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father.

It seems to me that the contemporary world of today is in dire need of security, which brings us anxiety and restlessness within. Perhaps for the seniors, some of you are worrying and anxious, if you'll be able to be pass the UPCAT or ACET or to even graduate this year. We are constantly anxious of what the future holds, so that most of you may agree and most self-help gurus will tell us: plan and take charge of your life!

The Sunday Gospel this week invites us to trust God, because He knows what we need for He made us in His own hands and because we mean so much to Him. Did He not say that He even have our hairs counted and we are far more worthy that gazillion sparrows! Mother Theresa once asked if she prays for clarity said, that it was the last thing she ask ---because she just wanted to put all her trust and faith to God. Wow.

Dear friends, today we are invited to take courage and trust in His words of consolation. Like Blessed Mother Theresa, when we are being tossed and buffeted by the harsh winds of life; when we feel lacking of security and do not know where to go or when we do not recognize Him working in our lives, let us take comfort in His words, “Be not afraid!”

Praying with Scriptures

Scripture Meditation is a form of prayer exercise that calls one to ponder and pray from Sacred Scriptures. It involves repetition and slow pace of reading, inviting one to savor every word from the Scriptures. The method is adapted from the historical Lectio Divina, whose principles were expressed around year 220 AD from Origen. Origen emphasizes on the value of reading scripture with attention to possible levels of meaning. The method customizes the word of the scriptures to one’s daily life or situation since it asks the reader to apply it in his own life.

Suggested Exercises:

• This meditation involves preparation much like any other activity since one has to be eased into a level of silence in order to build the suitable environment for meditative reading. Try to allot a scheduled time for prayer, preferably an hour; and before the appointed time, choose the passage that you will use for the prayer period. It is helpful to choose only one passage for the prayer period. Further, choose a place where you will be free from distractions.
• To ease one into silence, it is useful to engage in awareness exercises. Awareness exercises build one’s rhythm for prayer much like a warm-up before a game. A typical ten-minute awareness exercise is enough and it begins by closing one’s eyes and being conscious of the rhythm of one’s breathing and after the breathing, being sensitive to the surrounding sounds. If your mind wanders away, just try to bring it back to the rhythm.
• The meditation proper involves four moments: the lectio (reading), meditatio (reflection), oratio (dialogue with God), and contemplation (listening to God). Following this way of proceeding, one can start by reading the chosen passage slowly and repeating it for at least three times. One should be sensitive to the words and phrases where one felt the strongest impact. Then, reflect on the meaning of those words and phrases into your life. It is important to note that Ignatian meditation is not primarily an intellectual exercise where one should do exegesis but rather a reflective one, emphasizing on personal impact of words and phrases. The final step is responding to the passage by conversing with God and listening to His responses. In Ignatian spirituality, this is called colloquy. One should not hesitate to engage with God, even if He is all-knowing. It makes a huge difference talking to God as a friend.
• The Ignatian principle of non multa sed multum (not many but much) applies very much to this prayer exercise for it is not the number of phrases or words but their impact that is most significant. One should not be anxious to go on but rather one is invited to stay and relish to those phrases or words that made a significant impact during the reading and reflecting of the passage. Stay with the words, significant feelings, or phrases even if they consumed the allotted time.
• It is helpful to keep track of our prayer experiences by keeping a prayer journal. Note down all your feelings, significant movements, and even your dialogue with God after the prayer period. You may go back to and relish them in your next prayer time.
  
  

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lectio_divina

www.prayermatter.blogspot.com