Give to those who cannot repay

My giving should not be a weight or a burden to the other person. The act of giving, itself, is its own reward, a source of true happiness.

Give to God

When God asks something from us, it may cost, but we find a lasting peace that no one can ever take away from us.

Nanay

Remembering my nanay today. She would have turned 79. I know that in heaven she continues to watch over us, loving us more and just rooting for us to be happy, truly happy.
I miss you, Nanay.

Come as we are

To pray is to come to the Lord as we are; better yet, to pray is to realize that we  are always immersed in God's infinite ocean of mercy, that we don't need to be worried about cutting a good figure. What we need is a humble and trusting heart.
Humble, in accepting the awesome and breathtaking truth that we are loved by God as we are.
Trusting, in believing that God wants us to be happy.

God's will

It is God's will that I be happy!
This is a truth that I believe in.
All life is a journey to believe that God is on my side, cheering me on, wanting me to be happy.
My whole view about life and about the way I live it will radically change if this fundamental truth becomes part of me.
The thing is, I need to change the way I look at what makes me happy. What will give me joy?
What will truly make me happy is not something ephemeral.
Don't get me wrong. It doesn't mean that little things cannot make me happy; for, the transitoriness of something doesn't depend on its size or cost. True happiness touches the soul. It is not for sale. I have seen it in the eyes of the most impoverished children, or in the gentle hands of a mother as she comforts her crying baby after a long day's work.
What makes me truly happy is what gives meaning to my life, something that gives me the reason to wake up every morning, to brave the routine of everyday life, to stay faithful even if it doesn't give me an emotional high.
God's will is for me to be happy, a joy that no one can take away from me. Is this possible? I think it is, and we see it every day in the most selfless acts of kindness, generosity and forgiveness. For it is when we are making others happy that happiness springs from the deepest part of our being. It is a gift. It is God that gives that kind of happiness to me.

No sides

Right side or left side, above or below. Does it really matter when we are with God?
Right or left, above or below. Attention to this shows that our focus is still on ourselves.
When we are with God, nothing else will matter because we already have God. We have everything. That is why men and women of God are the happiest people wherever or with whoever they are.

O heart, be still

O heart, be still in your God.
Persons, things, everything that is created is passing.
Why then do you give up grudgingly what, later on, you will have to give up?
Be happy when you cling to no one or to nothing,
because then both your hands can embrace Him, whose love alone endures.

Our legacy

Let us sow peace and forgiveness, not hatred. Let us leave a legacy of kindness, forgiveness and joy. At the end of our life what will give us the greatest consolation is not how blameless we are but how much happiness we have spread.

My God

My God is not jealous of my happiness; nay, He offered His life so that I may truly have it.

Happiness

When we think less of ourselves, we open more space to joy. The secret of being happy is to make others happy.

Something within

It is a waste of time and energy to run after others' approval. True happiness is something within and no one can take it away. 

Elusive joy

 Don't begrudge people their happiness. Be like God whose heart is so big everyone can have a place in it. The more you try to make others happy, the more that elusive true joy will come to you.
Joy is playful. It evades you when you want to control it, but it lingers in you when you share it.

The question

In front of success or failure, happiness or sorrow ask yourself, "Will this be a big deal to me at the end of my life?" This will help you to know what to hold on to and what to let go of.