BAD TRIP BA ANG ARAW MO?

a personal reflection on the Gospel for Palm Sunday 2018

Have you ever had a bad day? 

It was so bad that everything seems to go wrong from the time you woke up till the end of the day.

Iyong tipong late ka nagising kasi hindi nag-alarm phone mo, wala kang masakyan, grabe ang traffic, pagdating mo ng opisina tambak na ang trabaho, noong kakain ka na wala ka na palang pera sa wallet at lahat ng malapit na ATM offline. Later in the day, you were just too happy to be home then you realized that you left the keys of your house in the office. 

What a day!

Jesus had that type of day also. It happened two days before Passover (Mark 14:1). Here is a quick summary of what happened to Jesus that day.

• When He needed support the most, His closest friends were asleep. Mark 14:37 When he returned he found them asleep.
• Judas betrays Him. Mark 14:45 He came and immediately went over to him and said, “Rabbi.” And he kissed him.
• Peter, His best friend and appointed leader, denies Him. Mark 14:68 But he denied it saying, “I neither know nor understand what you are talking about.”
• The people He healed & fed chose to release a criminal over him. Mark 15:11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas for them instead
• The soldiers mocked & stripped Him. Mark 15:18 They began to salute him with, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 20 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak, dressed him in his own clothes, and led him out to crucify him.
• They hit and spat on Him. Mark 15:19 and kept striking his head with a reed and spitting upon him
• They crucified Jesus & gambled over his garments. Mark 15:24 Then they crucified him and divided his garments by casting lots for them to see what each should take.
• By the end of that day, Jesus died. Mark 15:37 Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last.

What a day Jesus had!

Despite all these things, Jesus rises on Easter and says to everyone “Peace be with you!" (John 20:19)

What is the point of today’s Gospel?

THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO THAT WILL STOP GOD FROM LOVING YOU.

You may deny, betray, mock, spit or crucify Him. Maybe you already killed Him by making Jesus non-existent in your life. Yet, what does God do? HE continues to pursue you. That is love. Pure love.

I say again, WALA KANG KAYANG GAWIN PARA TUMIGIL ANG PAGMAMAHAL NG DIYOS PARA SA IYO.

Open your heart, your mind and your whole being to Jesus. May you have a blessed Holy Week!  - alvinfabella@yahoo.com

ANG TAMANG "YOLO"

a personal reflection on the Gospel for the 5th Sunday of Lent 2018

God is for everyone. In fact, it is natural for man to seek God. John 12:20 says some Greeks came to Philip and asked him ‘Sir, we would like to see Jesus.’ Kahit di natin aminin hinahanap natin ng Panginoon sa ating buhay. Bakit?

Because God is life. Jesus shows us how life should be spent. Paano nga ba? Should you have the YOLO "you only live once" mentality?

Jesus teaches us in John 12:24 "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit."

That's how you should live your life. You live by dying. What?! The Christian YOLO is this - Your Own Life Offered. Offered to what? You are called to offer it to God & others. As John 12:25 says "whoever loves his life loses it"

What can we do this Lent to practice the Christian YOLO?

• YOUR - It starts with yourself. Check yourself first. You are called to die, not physically, but to die to sin and live in righteousness. Ask God to forgive you. Kung Katoliko ka mangumpisal ka ngayong Kuwaresma.
• OWN - What do you own that you have more than enough of? Give them to the poor. You cannot bring your things to heaven but your things can help you reach heaven when you give it to the poor.
• LIFE - Are you words giving life to others? Or are your words slowly "killing" others? Watch what you say. Be cautious and make sure that your words give life. If your words offended others be quick to ask for forgiveness.
• OFFERED - Life is difficult. Suffering is part of our lives. So, instead of complaining or having self pity just offer up your suffering for the glory of God.

Your Own Life Offered. That's what Jesus himself did. Jesus showed us the way so we can follow. Trust God & follow Jesus today. - alvinfabella@yahoo.com

BEEP....BEEP....BEEP!

a personal reflection on the Gospel for the 4th Sunday of Lent 2018

Have you driven a car that makes a beeping sound when you don't put on the seat belt? The beeping only stops when you give in & put on the belt. Is that belt for the safety of the car or the driver? Definitely for the driver. Because if the car hits another object, the car would be damaged but the driver remains safe.

Ganyan din po ang buhay natin. Ang Diyos ay paulit-ulit sa pagpapaalala sa atin. It's not for God's benefit but ours. God has been reminding us since the time of Moses to put on the safety belt.

John 3:14 And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.

Bakit nga ba? Why does God never tire of pursuing us? Love is the answer. God loves us. John 3:16 says For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life

What is this "belt" that we have to put on?

B -elieve
E -scape
L -ight
T -ruth

BELIEVE. John 3:18 says "Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God." This act requires action not just mere words. We believe by re-committing our lives to God. We commit to do the good works that God wants us to do.

ESCAPE. You are called to escape evil and do good. "And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." - John 3:19. Avoid places and people the may cause you to sin. Escape bad vibes, embrace positivity. Focus on the blessings not the burden.

LIGHT. Follow the light. John 3:20 says "For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed." Mahirap sumunod kay Kristo at madali magkasala. It boils down to the choices that we make. If we refuse God’s love, then we condemn ourselves. It's our choice. Follow the light now. Obey Jesus.

Lastly, live by the TRUTH. "But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God." - John 3:21. Our world is filled with fake news. We are called to live by what is true not what is popular. That means living based on what Jesus taught. Here's the simple truth - GOD WILL NEVER STOP LOVING YOU NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO.

Believe, Escape, Light & Truth. Make a decision to wear that BELT now - alvinfabella@yahoo.com

NADUMIHAN, PINUTIKAN O BINABOY KA NA BA?

a personal reflection on the Gospel for the 3rd Sunday of Lent 2018

The soldiers arrested Jesus and beat Him up. They mock Him, spat on Him and crowned Him with thorns. They made Him carry a heavy wooden cross all by Himself. Finally, they crucified Him. But, in all these, Jesus did not show any violent reaction. Kahit konting galit wala. Ika nga ng iba "NR". No reaction.

Is there anything that can make Jesus react?

John 2:14 He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, as well as the money-changers seated there.

There's the answer. When the temple is desecrated, Jesus reacts. He will do anything to cleanse it.

John 2:15 He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and spilled the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables, 16 and to those who sold doves he said, “Take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.”

You too are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Ang Espiritu Santo ay naninirahan sa katawan mo. What desecrates your body?

SIN.

Sin destroys you. Para kang NADUMIHAN, PINUTIKAN O BINABOY. Yan ang epekto ng kasalanan. It's worst than how the vendors turned the temple into a market place. You also need cleansing like the temple. And as I wrote earlier - When the temple is desecrated, Jesus will do anything to cleanse it.

John 2:19 Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”

Jesus died to cleanse the temple. You are that temple. He died for you. But here's the Good News - Jesus conquered death! We are now called to believe and follow Him.

John 2:22 Therefore, when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they came to believe the Scripture and the word Jesus had spoken.

Don't allow sin to destroy you. Go to Jesus now. Ask forgiveness. Reconcile & be cleanse. Don't hesistate to approach Him. "Paano kung grabe ang kasalanan ko? Paano kung paulit ulit ko siyang nagawa?"

It does not matter. Remember, Jesus will do anything to cleanse the temple. He will always be ready to forgive you - alvinfabella@yahoo.com

#Lent2018