Salvation

"Lord, will only a few people be saved?" (Lk 13:23), a question addressed to Jesus. Wrong question. It shows a mindset that is non-inclusive, a competitive tendency.
Salvation is a gift. It is not based on our merits or our worthiness.
Does it mean an upright life is not necessary?
Again, wrong logic.
Salvation is a gift. As with other gifts, it is useless unless we accept it. Accepting salvation is not a matter of words; rather, it is conforming our lives to Jesus: loving people and doing good to others.
We don't pay for our salvation. Someone has already done that for us. We are truly saved when we begin to look at others as brothers and sisters; when we realize that life is not about enjoying it but of finding its purpose.
We have only one life, let us make it worth living.

Infinite presence

A new month, a new beginning. Every day is a new beginning, but there is something special about the beginning of each month. For one, you turn over a page in your calendar; for some, it might even be necessary to tear the page of the old month. So it is like a ritual that tells you that, indeed, you have a new horizon ahead of you.
As I write new pages in my life's story, I realize that I am not alone. There is a Presence that is infinitely other than me, beyond me. And it is in this infinite Ocean that I am able to accept my mistakes, my limitations, and my failure when I see how little I have accomplished and how much I have wasted.
But is anything ever wasted? I think not, I hope not. I believe that every experience, even the ones that may seem like a backward step, has something to offer: a deeper capacity for empathy, the realization that I cannot control everything, a call to be patient and to trust the process.
God's presence in my life and in history is much, much more than what I can see and evaluate.

Life stories are complex

Take courage. Don't lose hope. Jesus has overcome the world and Jesus will help those who trust Him and follow in His ways.
This world, as we know it, is a battlefield between good and evil. This world is reflected, in a miniature way, in ourselves. There is always a battle within me: what will I choose?
Making choices is not always easy. A lot of times our choice is not between good or evil, right or wrong.
When one chooses what is convenient, expedient, easy, popular, consensual .... it doesn't always mean that they are choosing evil or wrong, right?
It is because of this dilemma that we are called to be merciful in our judgments. We don't know the whole story. And life stories tend to be complex.
But at the same time, we are called to open ourselves to the Holy Spirit, who illumines us to make choices according to the mind and the heart of Jesus.

Act justly

"A bruised reed he will not break, a smoldering wick he will not quench" (Mt 12:20).
The truth of our godliness is expressed in the way we treat the most vulnerable and the most marginalized.

True prayer is "Thy will be done"

When we pray, we don't convert God to our ways; rather, we are converted to God's ways. We see life with God's eyes, we live life with God's heart.

At all times, give thanks

Thank you, Lord, for your goodness and love.
Thank you for taking care of us in your own unique and unexpected ways.
Thank you for assuring us that whatever happens, we are always in your loving hands.
Convert me in your own ways. May this gratitude lead me to greater trust, and may trust open my heart to always be grateful.

Accountability

I am not expecting our leaders to be perfect. No one can live up to that expectation. What I ask for is accountability, and I think it is fair to expect that. To be accountable is to remember that the role and responsibility are bigger than one's self and interests; to do one's best for the good of all, especially those in the fringes of society; to accept mistakes and face their consequences.