Be not afraid

 

I am going through a life-changing experience. Only a few people know about it, but I know that, soon, I have to face it. Facing it means talking about it. 

I have always been very open, so why is it hard to talk about it? I have a feeling that once I talk openly about it, it becomes very real. Perhaps that is what makes me afraid. 

Yesterday's Gospel is a message from God, precisely in this frightening time of my life: BE NOT AFRAID. JESUS IS WITH YOU ON YOUR BOAT. This is a very personal journey, but I am not alone. 

"Be not afraid, I go before you always. Come, follow me, and I will give you rest."

Being yourself

 

To be yourself is to know when to say something and when to say nothing.

You don't always have to say something about everything.

To be yourself is to be a person capable of thoughtful judgment.

Memories

 

Memories ... good memories. They are like an extra inch when we feel that we are at the end of our rope.

Where do you fix your eyes?

At the beginning of this year, it would be helpful to remember that how we live our lives depends on where we fix our eyes. 

Christianity

 

"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen not only because I see it but because by it I see everything else" (C.S. Lewis)

What does believing in Jesus mean to me? It is an adherence of my whole being to Jesus Christ. Saying that I am a Christian means that I believe in Jesus' message, accept Jesus' covenant of love with me, and follow Jesus' teaching and example.

So many people use religion as an excuse to do things that shouldn't even be allowed by a modicum of good manners. It really is so sad. 

Jesus who, more than two thousand years ago had to escape tyranny as a newborn child, continues to be in exile even in so-called Christian and educated/developed countries, perhaps an exile also in churches and communities that shout out His name and follow Him.

"No one who fails to act in righteousness belongs to God, nor anyone who does not love his brother" (1 Jn 3:10).

This coming year, may our contribution to the healing of our world be our seriously living what we profess as Christians.

Never alone

 

On this last day of 2023, I pray that we may be grateful for its joys, humble for the victories, forgiving for the missed opportunities, and trusting that we are never alone as we face the coming year. God is with us. We are in God's hands. God shows his presence in different ways. It could be through persons, events, a sudden inspiration, or just a quiet presence in our heart that enables us to live one day at a time until we slowly discover that there is something, albeit small, to be joyful about.

Good things are meant to last

 

I feel disturbed when people say "Good things never last". It seems like a very skeptical way of looking at life. That is what I love about faith. It tells us that there is something beyond us, something that surpasses our way of looking at and understanding things.

If a thing is truly good, it will last. It may not be in the form that we have always known, but it will last. The challenge for us is to know when a thing is truly good. Following our criteria may not be a wise choice, because our criteria could be subjective as they follow our moods, our feelings, and our emotions. 

Look for a north star, a guiding light other than yourself. My faith tells me to look up to God. 

As we look up to that Guiding light, it will tell us what is truly good. And as we go through life, in its ups and downs, we will see that good things may change in forms and shapes, but they always last.r