4 Gives

Here in the Philippines, when people say "2-gives", "3-gives", "4-gives", or "whatever-number-gives", it would mean something about the number of times one would pay his or her debt or anything that is unpaid. Like, if someone owed me Php 1,000.00, and planned to pay me in "2-gives", that would be giving me Php 500.00 on two different occasions; or it could be like one Php 600, then another Php 400.00, as long as it equals the to-be-paid amount and settled on two different times, depending on the agreement.

Well anyway, the Reading, the Psalms, and the Gospel today, talks about sin and mercy. Our sins: yours and mine. And the unfathomable mercy of our God.

4 GIVE'S
Not that we'd be dividing into 4 parts our reparation of our sins and our giving back to God. But that we are tackling into 4 notes the mercy God has shown to us.

1. Give Mercy
We have sinned; that's true. We rebelled against God. We did not listen to Him nor to His servants and prophets. We have not obeyed and have done evil. We are unfaithful to our covenant with Him. And our sins lead us to shamefulness (cf. Dn. 9:7). So, we prayed: "Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins" (cf. Ps. 79) and "we hope for pardon and mercy from the Lord, because we have rebelled against him" (Dn. 9:9, CCB).

Yes, our God has shown his mercy on us because He is a merciful Father. And in showing us His Mercy, God wants us to be merciful just as He is (cf. Lk. 6:36). That is why God first gave us His mercy, that we become merciful to others. How? The Gospel teaches us:

[Jesus said to his disciples:] "Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you (cf. Lk. 6:37-38)

2. Give Your All
If you cannot give you cannot receive either. The measure you give is the measure you are capable of receiving [1]. But before we could ever give, we must first receive; for we could not give what we don't have, what we have not received.

[Jesus said to his disciples:] "Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you." (Lk. 6:38)

We are to give our all: pressed down, full, and running over (cf. Lk. 6:38, CCB). In Filipino: "Siksik, Liglig, at Umaapaw". To receive in abundance, is to give our all until we are empty, that God may fill us to the fullest. We have received mercy over and over, so should we also be merciful. This is the reason why God allowed us to experience first the gift of His Mercy, that we may be merciful and be able to share not our own mercies, but that of the Mercy of God.


3. Give Radically
Our sins lead us to shame. But God took away that shame in us, He forgives us. Therefore, there should be no shame in us anymore. There should be no shame in sharing and giving mercy to others, that they may also experience the Mercy of God in its fullness.

We have to give mercy and forgiveness radically. Though we are nothing but dust, yet we can still live radically, if we live like Jesus: full of mercy and compassion. Give it to anyone; everyone deserves to know and experience God's Mercy.


4. For-give-n
Yes, we are FORGIVEN. This should be our very reason why we share God's mercy, compassion, and forgiveness. God loved us first. God forgave us first. God showed us His mercy first. So that His very being of love, forgiveness, and mercy may (and should) urge and compel us to love and to forgive and to be merciful: sharing not our own love, forgiveness, and mercy, but God's love and forgiveness and mercy that can be found within us.

We are forgiven, and not forgotten, by God.
So, we must forgive and remember our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Our sins are our debt to God. And God wants to forgive us of our sins.
He wants us to bask in His immeasurable Divine Mercy.

JESUS, KING OF MERCY, WE TRUST IN YOU!

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The Divine Mercy Prayer (Every 3PM)
You died, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls,
and the ocean of Mercy opened up for the whole world.
O, Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy,
envelop the whole world, and empty Yourself out upon us.
O, Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus,
as a Fount of Mercy for us, I trust in You.
Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One,
have mercy on us and on the whole world.
Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One,
have mercy on us and on the whole world.
Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One,
have mercy on us and on the whole world.

Jesus, King of Mercy, we trust in You.
St. Faustina, pray for us.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.
Most Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us.
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Click to know more about Jesus, the Divine Mercy.

[1] Bible Diary (R) 2012, Claretian Communications Foundation, Inc., Quezon City, Philippines

Make or Break?

Do not arouse, do not stir up love before its own time. (Song of Songs 2:7b)

The HEART can either Make you or Break you.

LOVE is more than just a feeling; it is more than an emotion.
LOVE, driven by COMMITMENT, is a DECISION.

Love's antecedent is preparing and waiting.
Love in correct timing is lasting.

Preparing one's self to be the Right One,
While waiting for God at His Right Time.

Are you in love with the feel-good emotion of love?
Or in love with the person you love?

Having the Right Reason in Loving
Defies treason you don't want having

DO NOT ALLOW YOURSELF TO SETTLE FOR LESS.
FOR GOD MADE YOU OUT OF HIS IMAGE AND LIKENESS.

Remember the Future

Let us take the issue that affects most of us: Love Life.

What I just want to point out is this...

When you've had kids in the future, how are you gonna respond when they ask: "Dad, how did your love story with Mom started? What's your love story?"

Are you gonna answer like: "Well... Your Mom and I were textmates then. I courted your Mom through texts, and, oh, I got her that easy. But don't you dare do what your Mom and I did. Don't you dare."

What kind of a love story is that?

Well, very simple, remember the future by doing good and living pure in the present. By remembering, I mean, taking into consideration the future: that in everything we do has a consequence in the future.

LOVE IS PRECIOUS. DO NOT CHEAPEN IT.

This is Your Lesson Number One

Lesson #1 to becoming SAINT:

SELF-DENIAL

That I almost cried denying myself.

I thought self-denial was something easy to do. 

But this is what God taught me, to deny myself because of His LOVE for me and for LOVE of Him.

Ang mga ibon
Na lumilipad
Ay mahal ng Diyos
'Di kumukupas

Ang mga ibon na lumilipad
Ay mahal ng Diyos 'di kumukupas
'Wag ka nang malungkot
Oh! Praise the Lord!

Ang mga aso
Na tumatahol
Ay mahal ng Diyos
'Di kumukupas

Ang mga aso na tumatahol
Ay mahal ng Diyos 'di kumukupas
'Wag ka nang malungkot
Oh! Praise the Lord!

Ang mga tao
Sino pa man
Ay mahal ng Diyos
'Di kumukupas


Ang mga tao sino pa man
Ay mahal ng Diyos 'di kumukupas
'Wag ka ng malungkot
Oh! Praise the Lord!

Fearless

LORD, make me always remember that Sunday morning when I stood in front of almost 1,500 young men and women, together with my missionary brothers and sisters, and declared that we'll be FEARLESS FOR YOU!

Despite of our fears, we'll be FEARLESS FOR YOU!
Despite of the pain, we'll be FEARLESS FOR YOU!
Despite of our difficulties, we'll be FEARLESS FOR YOU!
Despite of the persecutions, we'll be FEARLESS FOR YOU!
Despite of our uncertainties, we'll be FEARLESS FOR YOU!
Despite of the unknown, we'll be FEARLESS FOR YOU!

We'll be FEARLESS FOR YOU, because YOU LOVED US FIRST!

Unto the Very Last Day

Friday, 31 December 2010.


Click here for the readings of this day.


The Gospel today: [1 John 1:1-18 (NAB)]

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him,and without him nothing came to be. What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

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. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

He was in the world, and the world came to be through him, but the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him.

But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision but of God.

And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only-begotten Son, full of grace and truth.

John testified to him and cried out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’” From his fullness we have all received,
grace in place of grace, because while the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. The only-begotten Son, God, who is at the Father’s side,
has revealed him.

As I reflect for today's readings and Gospel, I heard God whispered: "Isn't this LOVE?"
Unto the very last day, God's message is LOVE.
His unfathomable, unconditional LOVE.


All of these are because of LOVE:

• All things were made through Jesus Christ.
• Whatever has come to be, found life in Jesus Christ.
• Jesus Christ is the light, which darkness can never overcome.
• Jesus Christ came for his own; for what is his.
• Those who received Christ, he empowers to become children of God.
• Who Jesus Christ owns are born of God; and not because of anyone's will, but God's.
• In Jesus Christ, we have received grace after grace.
• In Jesus Christ, we have truth and grace.
• No one has seen God, but through Jesus Christ, God has been revealed.

GOD loves us so much. And so, as his sons and daughters, we, like John, should respond to Him in love:

• Bear witness to introduce the Light, who is Jesus Christ, that others might believe.
• Testify to the Love of God.
• Share God's love and not our love.
• Live in the light. Live a pure life.

"GOD is the essence of life, the energy of grace, the reason of our existence, and the purpose of life. It is in this GOD that we live and move and have our being." --Bible Diary 2010


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Man 1: I love you so much.
Man 2: Why?
Man 1: I don't know. I just love you.

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GOD: I love you so much.
Man: Why?
GOD: Because I, your GOD, is love.


GOD has all the reason to love us. This is because He is, in Himself, LOVE. And He only has not all the reason to love us, but that He loved us first and His love is perfect. (cf. 1 John 4). And nothing can separate us from this love of God in Christ Jesus. (cf. Romans 8:38-39).
And He had proved His love for us in this: that while we were still sinners, Jesus Christ died for us. (cf. Romans 5:8).
Instead of us dying for our sins, Jesus Christ paid the price.
This is GRACE.
This is LOVE: unfathomable and unconditional

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Lord, I do understand your love and your grace; but I just cannot comprehend its greatness.
I just cannot even imagine it.
It is more than myself. It consumes me.
It is so uncontainable. You, oh Lord, is uncontainable.
Thank you Lord! Amen.
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