February 1, 2015

Mk 1:21-28

Jesus Casts Out an Unclean Spirit

Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught. And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, saying, Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did you come to destroy us? I know who You are -- the Holy One of God." But Jesus rebuked him, saying "Be quiet, and come out of him!" And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him. Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey Him. And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.

Have you ever seen someone possessed with an unclean spirit? Me, I haven't, not directly of course, but through media (news reports, movies, etc.) What do you feel when you see such situations? For me, it's terrifying or should I say, bloodcurdling. It's an unexplainable feeling that makes you ask yourself why it happens to such individuals. Is it because, they do not pray, or they lack faith, or are they just easily tempted by evil? There are a lot of speculations regarding possessions of a man's body, but I cannot linger much on this topic because the Bible has far more interesting things to share to us. It is the fact that we have authority over the devil.

In this article, Jesus met a man possessed with an unclean spirit, if we understand this verse deeply and we apply it in the situations today, we can compare people possessed with unclean spirit to those who are easily tempted, easily angered, those who abuse their children and those who have vices like alcohol drinking, taking prohibited drugs (excessive vices, in particular, without question are unscrupulous way of treating the body given by God). So if this situation does come to us, how do we authorize evil to get out of our body and forever leave us? God's words have driven away the unclean spirit from the man's body. Why do His words matter? Why His words do deeply stab into our heart? It's because of the Truth behind His every word. If we learn to become truthful in every word we say, if all we say are words that come from the heart that was the only key in driving away this unclean spirit. It's the authority that Jesus teaches us in this particular verse. It is learning to be truthful in everything you say and do.

The Bible has a lot of lessons that we could ponder upon, yes, it is written many years ago, but it is the only book that can never be classified as outdated because this Book of Life also is one of the keys in driving away all forms of fear and doubt that you will encounter in your everyday life. A priest once said, "The evil thing always surrounds us. Even here in the church, you can be tempted by them. So you should always be protected, have faith in Him and overcome your every fear."

Away, Away, unclean spirit

I won't give you any merit

For I'll make prayer as a habit

You will leave, I'm sure about it

God has given authority

Take over fear successfully

Yes, it was done with difficulty

But never doubt, you can be a winner surely.

Mark 1: 14-20

Follow Jesus Like the Four Disciples

"After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God. "This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.

As he passed by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea; they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, "Come  after me, and I will make you fishers of men." Then they left their nets and followed him. He walked along a little farther and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They too were in a boat mending their nets. Then he called them. So they left their father Zebedee in the boat along with the hired men and followed him."

The book of Mark has always been like the "Manual of the Warrior of Light" written by Paulo Coelho. Mark teaches the people of the characters of being a disciple of God like the four people in the gospel for the week. Last gospel we learned that if we desire the Kingdom of the Father, we should be like a child. We should have childlike humility, the humble dependence to our mother and expression of your vulnerability. Humility is not a weakness that would discourage you to move forward. It is a tool that we needed to acquire to reach Him. In this gospel, it teaches us to the way of salvation. It is through repentance and belief to His words. Repent is to turn from sin and dedicate oneself to the amendment of one's life. It's not a simple act of asking for forgiveness. In repenting, you were not supposed to repeat that same mistake or sin and in order to that you should change your current direction. Like right now, you are going towards North, if you repent, you should turn and lead toward South. I believe that changing your perception or view of things would give you new foundation, and new understanding. That's what repentance could do for you. However, not only repent, you should have the faith, the full trust and belief to the gospel of the Lord. Why miracles happen? Miracles do happen for a reason; it's because you believe.  That's  also the reason why Simon, Andrew, James and John followed Jesus, when He said, "Come, after me," it's all because they all believe in the gospel.  What do you think is our similarity with these disciples? Our similarity is that we are all called to come after Him and become fishers of men. They catch men through the use of the gospels. The gospels are not there just for reading or speculating the life of God, it is something we should understand and cherish. I think right now, I am doing it, I'm sharing His words to people who can read this article. How about you? Are we doing the same thing? 

Repent and have faith to achieve salvation

Closeness to the Father brings the joy of transfiguration

Be a missionary, be a teacher to your nation

Like a shepherd doing evangelization

Come join me, he said

Leave you work: instead

Help me, let's share what He preached

To all the people you could reach

Mark 10:13-16 (January 18, 2015, 8:14 pm)

Blessing the Children

And people were bringing children to him that he might touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them, "Let the children come to me; do not prevent them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it. Then he embraced them and blessed them, placing his hands on them. 

Children are considered the wealth of a nation. To them, we leave all the things we have accumulated, collected and treasured- they are our successors. Now, their opinions and views are very important, and there are times that their declarations enlightened and opened our minds to certain things we have probably neglected due to its simplicity.

However, children in this verse were disregarded. Why is that the disciples rebuked the people who brought them? Nowadays, children, as I have said earlier have a special position in the society, their opinions can be voiced out publicly, unlike in the time of Jesus were children as I would like to quote "children were to be seen but not to be heard in public". Since children in those years were like ornaments for their parents, the disciples probably think that allowing the children to be touched by the Lord would interrupt His works, that they are just mere children, insignificant to the eyes of the adults. However, this attitude of the disciples angered Jesus. Why? In the ancient times, giving attention and seeking the children is very uncommon, but the Lord publicly cares for the children. Not only cared but also blessed and considered them as living model for the people who have the desire to reach the Kingdom of the Lord.

In this verse, I would like to emphasize "indignant", meaning "feeling or showing anger because of something that is unfair or wrong." Jesus was very indignant towards the actions committed by his disciples because He has always said that there is no one who is insignificant to the eyes of the Father. Everyone has a place in His heart, everyone has a story to share, especially the children. As what is written in Mt. 18:1-5:

Who is the greatest?

"At that time the disciples came to Jesus saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven? Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever, receives one little child like this in My name receives Me."

Here enters the role of children as a model of humility - childlike humility, in particular. The Lord wanted to remind us that we have to become like a child, not becoming childish. It's not about the age, you see, it is about the virtues and the attitudes we have, we have to be childlike. What do we mean by becoming childlike? It's an act of humble dependence to your Master, showing vulnerability and abundant faithfulness-an expression of humility.

Many people mistake humility for weakness and I am one of those many people. For I always thought that stepping down or being last is an act of a loser, but now I understand that begging or being in the receiving end, is not bad at all. Others said you will only learn complete humble dependence when you are in grave danger, or when you have acquired an illness, and or when you have nowhere to go because I think it applies for me. I learned humble dependence during those times of inner darkness. When loneliness and regret corrupted all your happy memories that is when you really needed humility. However, humility is a hard virtue to attain, that's why we have the children as our models. Learn to have childlike humility for in this lifetime, that's the most important aim.

I sing to thee

Entrust me, childlike humility

I look up to you, and you uncover the child in me

Your Kingdom, Lord, it's where I want to be

I pray to you

For I wish mercy and compassion too

I know you'll listen, I know you'll do

For there is no one who is insignificant to you

For December 21, 2014

Announcement of the Birth of Jesus

"In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, 'Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.' But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom  there will be no end.' But Mary said to the angel, 'How can this be , since I have no relations with a man?' And the angel said to her in reply, 'The holy power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.' Mary said, ' Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord, May it be done to me according to your word. Then the angel departed from her."

Who is Mary? Many of us call her Mother of Jesus, The Blessed Virgin Mary or Saint Mary, but before being asked to bear the Son of God, she was a simple, unmarried woman who was indeed greatly favored by the Father.

The Father allowed and recognized the building of the Church as home and as a representation that He is with us, but we all know that the mercy and compassion of the Lord is beyond the four walls of the Church that we build for Him. He is everywhere, anywhere around us. We treated the Church as His home, but there is one more home which was built or formed by the guidance of the Holy Spirit which is the birth of Jesus through the womb of Mary. Mary has served as the home of the Child Jesus, and this event signifies that the Lord is true to His promises to us by sending His Son. Mary has been very blessed for she was singled out among other women in her time to bear Jesus.

What was the character shown by Mary when she was asked by the angel to carry the child Jesus?

It was pure willingness to be of help to the Father, she is fully aware that what will happen to her is beyond the understanding of an ordinary human. She trusted the Lord, and say bravely to let it happen upon His word.

Mary, The Blessed Mother of Jesus

You have been so gracious

The angel came and delivered the good news

You will give birth to a child and name it 'Jesus'

It is beyond word

Happiness and or mirth is at the top of the world

For these blessings you are indeed favored

By the Most High, the God of All and Your Lord

For December 14, 2014

John 1:6-8 and 19-28

"A man named John was sent from God. He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to testify to the light. "

"And this is the testimony of John. When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him, 'Who are you?' he admitted and did not deny it , but admitted, 'I am not the Messiah.' So they asked him, 'What are you then?' Are you Elijah?' And he said, 'I am not.' Are you the Prophet?' He answered 'No.' So they said to him, 'Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us?' What do you have to say for yourself?' He said: I am 'the voice of one crying out in the desert, make straight the way of the Lord.' as Isaiah the prophet said. Some  Pharisees were also sent. They asked him, 'Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet?' John answered them, 'I baptize with water; but there is one among you whom you don not recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie. This happened in Bethany across Jordan, where John was baptizing."

Have you ever felt that you are in the zenith of your happiness? When do you feel joy? Is it when you get new gadgets, pass your exams, finish reading a book, or have vacations with your family? There are various things that make each and everyone of us happy. I always believe that the fundamental objective of living is attaining happiness not only through material things but also with your spiritual growth. That is what I observed from John the Baptist, did you observe it as well, his JOY/DELIGHT to bring, to share the most important news which is the coming of the Lord, who will fulfill the promises He has given to the people. We should feel really glad that He promised us that He will be back, rescue us from our adversaries, but He was not satisfied so He gave us someone who could give a testimony and it was John the Baptist. Testimony, according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary is something that someone says especially in a court of law while formally promising to tell the truth. What John the Baptist said in the desert wasn't a mere declaration, hypothesis or a conjecture, it was a TESTIMONY that the Lord is truly coming and we must prepare and straighten His way. With this testimony of John the Baptist, we should rejoice, jump endlessly, clap enthusiastically and laugh merrily for His arrival is near and we can't have you sleeping.

John is here for a good news

Come, come let's all hear the news

He said someone is coming, we always wanted to meet

Who could it be? Ooh, it could be HIM

Hurray, hurray, He is  here

His arrival is indeed near

Rejoice for the Son of God is here

Prepare the way, you can't be caught sleeping, dear

For December 7, 2014

Mark 1:1-8

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

"As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way. A voice of one crying out in the desert: Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. John [the] Baptist appeared in the desert proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. People of the whole Judean countryside and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins. John was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist. He fed on locusts and wild honey. And this is what he proclaimed: One mightier than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

What was the way John the Baptist prepared? It is neither the national road nor the street to your house that needs to be prepared and cleaned, it is the way to your heart, cleanse your self as well as your conscience from temptation, greed or envy. For Judean people, God has made John the Baptist, an instrument to remind them before the coming of Christ to repent on their sins through Baptism (as Catholics, we have our baptism when we were only in our infant years). In this gospel, John the Baptist like our priests of today baptized us with water and in the coming of Christ, He will baptize us with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit that we received from Him, would lead us to changes and straighten our wrongdoings. This will guide us as well  in leading a genuine lifestyle. One more thing worth noticing from this gosphel was humility which John the Baptist has shown as an important messenger to prepare the way. Like what D. De Haan stated, " God often uses lowly things, His purpose to fulfill, because it takes a humble heart to carry out His will."

So as a modern John the Baptist, how are you going to humbly pave the way for the coming of Christ our Savior?

We can start by changing our self first, then our family and our community. It is always advisable to start with the smallest unit to largest in order for our purpose to have effective foundation. As a member of a bible study group, this is also a good way of straightening the way for the coming of Christ. The group has the initiative to gather members of the community every Tuesday to reflect about the gosphel. It has not only open new understanding of the bible but also strengthen our personal bond to other people.

There are various ways of sharing the gospel, one of the members of the bible study group said, "if John the Baptist would be living this day, he would definitely own a cellphone"- in order to reach a lot of people and give reminders of His coming by repenting for our sins and accept our shortcomings.

So nowadays, there are various innovative ways of sharing the good news, humble yourself and commit to what you are doing.

Our Savior will be coming

This is what John has been saying

Praying and always repenting

For the Holy Spirit is worth having

Prepare the way

Be John the Baptist starting today

Remind others if you may

That we are not here just to play

For November 30, 2014 

Mark 13:32-36

Need for Watchfulness

"But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the father. Be watchful! Be alert! You do not  know when the time will come. It is like a man traveling abroad. He leaves home and places his servants in charge, each with his work, and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch. Watch, therefore, you do not know, when the Lord of the house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning. May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to all: Watch!"

Do you remember during your childhood days when you are a Girl Scout or a Boy Scout? There is a saying, that when you are always prepared, you are indeed a scout. During those days, what do we need to prepare for? Injuries? Accidents?

In a larger context, this verse wants us to be watchful and prepared in the coming of Christ. Watchful for the life He has given us and watchful for our spiritual self. You cannot grow when you are lacking in terms of your physical safety or to your spiritual connection with God.

Moreover, have you observed how repetitively mentioned the word "watch" in this text. This allows us to further view it in this way: Have you ever heard your Mom telling you, "watch out for that", "I would like to remind you that you should sleep early or eat healthy food---- those statements that remind us to do good or to be always safe. How many times did you hear these reminders? Me? I heard them million times, and from this verse I learned to appreciate the love my parents has given me. They have prepared me in various ways, spiritually, they have allowed me to have deep connections with God by introducing me to church. They have prepared me in all the academic demands by allowing me to read books and exposing myself to research, which my curiosity demands. In other words, at a young age, one must be watchful and always come prepared to avoid regrets.

During our Bible reflections as a group, one member shared a story. As a spiritual communicator, he deals with solving community problems, here is the situation: a high school student was abducted in broad daylight. According to the preliminary examinations of the body, the child was raped before she was burned to death. This member could see the pain the family  feel during this confrontation with the suspect. Upon, sharing this story, he questions us: "who is lacking (Sinong nagkulang)? "Is it the parents, the child, or the police officers?

This tragic event is also not expected like the coming of God. If we know, we are lacking in some aspects we should immediately fill it. That's why when you are lacking in terms of praying, you better start now. Start praying before you sleep and make it a habit. Pray perseveringly!

God has given us numerous times and even ways to communicate with Him. We invest on things that will surely make us grow, allow us to become whole and; reading a Bible is the most worthwhile activity a Christian like you should be investing on. 

We should watch out for the coming of Christ, but are you, as an individual prepared for His coming? If not, you should start now, for tomorrow might be the destined day. 

Regrets always come after the big wave

Prayer's the only way to be saved

Thorny roads will always be paved

Relying fully to the promises He gave

My heart's desire You know it most

Walk me straight if I am lost

I maybe blind, or deaf to You

One thing is sure, my heart, mind and soul belongs to You

I do not know when will it be

But I know You will come to thee;

I will be prepared, I must

Like how  You prepared your kingdom for us