LAMANG-LOOB

isang pagninilay sa ebanghelyo ngayong Augusto 28, 2018 Matthew 23:23-26

Once upon a time, there was a married couple who had this morning habit. They loved to look at the window & comment on their neighbor's laundry.

“Look at the woman. Does she know how to properly wash their clothes? They still look dirty but she’s hanging them already.”
The wife would looked at the window & give the same comment every morning.

Then one day, the wife noticed something.
“Look! She finally learned how to do the laundry. Look, the clothes are all clean!”
The husband looked out the window & then said “Actually, I cleaned our window.”

Being Holy starts from the inside. You cannot be holy by simply doing holy things. Matthew 23:25 says “"You cleanse the outside of cup and dish, but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence.”

So, let us persevere to clean our soul first. Let us be humble to review our lives. Do not be quick to judge others. AIM TO BE A SAINT!

Have a blessed week! - alvinfabella@yahoo.com

LIBO-LIBONG ISDA, NALUNOD!

A personal reflection on today's Gospel John 6:60-69 (AUGUST 26, 2018)

Fake news. That's what fills up our world now. That's what sells. Ang hirap tuloy malaman kung ano ang tunay at ano ang hindi. The more sensational the news, the better.

Jesus call us to make a choice in today's Gospel. He asked the apostles "Will you also go away?" (John 6:67). Jesus is asking you the same question now. He calls us to choose what's true but like the crowd we find it hard to believe so we all say "This saying is hard; who can accept it?" (John 6:60)

Friends, the world tells us a lot of lies but here is the L-I-E that we should all believe.

• "L" - Love. God is love & the source of love. He initiates it Himself & takes the first step in loving you. 1 John 4:19 says that "We love, because he first loved us." Tayo ay nagmamahal dahil una tayong minahal ng Diyos. So choose LOVE!
• "I" - means the choice starts with YOU. Wala po itong pilitan. You make the decision yourself. God is all powerful yet he won't force Himself in your life. Jesus says "I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. (Revelation 3:20). The choice is all up to YOU!
• "E" - means eternal, endless, enduring & everlasting. In SHORT, this choice is for a LOOOOOOONG time. Sorry for the pun. Can't help it :-)Madami sa choices natin pang madalian lang. Ang ibang choices natin pang-habangbuhay. Pero ang ibang desisyon natin beyond this lifetime ang consequence. God chose to be man to save you - "but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men" (Philippians 2:7). Make the choice to end up in heaven. Choose Jesus now!

So, choose to L-I-E! Choose to "L"-ove, "I" make the choice freely & choose what's "E"-ternal.

Peter chose well. He believe what Jesus said & declared "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God." " (John 6:68-69). Piliin mo ang mabuti pagkat pinili ka ng Diyos!

That's not fake news. That's the Good News!

Help your friends make the right choice by sharing this reflection. May you have a blessed week! - alvinfabella@yahoo.com

NA SALES TALK KA NA BA?

A personal reflection on today's Gospel John 6:51-58 (AUGUST 19, 2018)

"Bili kaya ako ng bagong kotse?"

My friend asked me that question as I was about to take a sip of coffee. He continued to speak before I was able to react.

"I met a car salesman at the mall yesterday. He explained the features of the new car. Ang ganda e! Very good payment terms. What do you think?"

I took another sip then gave him my reply.
"How's your current car?"
"Ok pa naman. It gets me to my destination and back safely"

"How does it look now?"
"Well, except for a few scratches & minor dents, it's ok."

Clearly, na-sales talk ang kaibigan ko.

"If you want my opinion here's my advise. Go home & clean your car. Do it yourself. Vacuum the inside & wipe the interiors clean. Wax the outside. Tapos pa-full tank mo & drive it around. Then call me tomorrow if you still want to buy a new car."

I did not get a call from him the following day. The last time I saw him he was still driving his current car.

Ikaw, NA-SALES TALK KA NA BA?

Our world presents you with various options that sometimes distract us from what's important. Power, pleasure & peso. Tatlong "p" na pwede ilayo ka sa mahalagang "P", ang Panginoon. Tatlong bagay na pwedeng gumulo ng buhay natin.

Jesus tells us what's important. In John 6:53 Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you"

That's the plain truth. Walang halong sales talk. Simple and straight forward. There is no need to argue like what the Jews did in John 6:51.

Maybe you want to give up on your life already. You feel it's too burdensome. Parang ang daming problema at di mo na kaya. You want to quit already. Follow what I told my friend.

1. Vacuum the inside. Clean your soul. Ask God for forgiveness. Approach the people you hurt & ask for forgiveness. If you're Catholic go to Confession.
2. Wax the outside. Serve others so that your life may be a shining example of Jesus. Matthew 5:16 says "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."
3. Lastly, fill up the tank. Do not fill up your life with good earthly things. Fill up your life with the best thing. John 6:56 says "He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him."Go to Mass as often as possible. Receive the body of Christ. Pagkat kay Kristo may forever. He says it Himself "he who eats this bread will live for ever." - John 6:58. 

May you have a blessed week! - alvinfabella@yahoo.com

DON'T MURMUR, just BELIEVE PA MORE!

A personal reflection on today's Gospel John 6:41-51 (AUGUST 12, 2018)

Two boys were walking home from a youth camp after hearing a powerful talk about the devil.
Boy 1: “What do you think about all this Satan stuff?”
Boy 2: ”Well, you know how Santa turned out. It’s probably just you dad”

That funny story was too short so I’d revise the ending to stress out the main point of my reflection.

“The two boys took the talk lightly. They believed that the devil was nothing to be worried about. They did not pray for protection. What happened next? They grew up giving in to every temptation the devil threw at them. THE END”

I like what the writer Hyrum W. Smith said - "Your behaviour is a reflection of what you truly believe in.” Naniniwala ka ba sa Diyos? Naniniwala ka ba sa mga sinabi Niya? The people doubted when Jesus said “I am the bread that came down from heaven,” (John 6:41). They saw a lot of miracles already yet they did not believe. So instead of believing, they murmured (John 6:41).

• "Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph?”
• "Do we not know his father and mother?”
• "how can he say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”

Pareho pa rin ang sitwasyon sa ating buhay ngayon. We act based on what we believed.

• While the world says: “Kinalimutan ka na ng Diyos!” God says: "hinding-hindi kita malilimutan. ang pangalan mo'y nakaukit sa aking mga palad” (Isaiah 49:16)
• When the world says:“You are worthless!”. But God says HE loves you. Read John 3:16
• Others say “That’s just a piece of wafer & wine! That’s not God.” God says "This is my body that is for you.’” (1 Corinthians 11:24)

Do not believe what the world says. Believe what the WORD says. Remember that truth that Jesus preaches is not for Him but for you - "whoever eats this bread will live forever” (John 6:51).

Lord, increase my faith that I may believe then act based on your Word. May you have a blessed week! - alvinfabella@yahoo.com

ADVANCE KA BA MAG-ISIP?

A personal reflection on today's Gospel John 6:1-15

Philip was in for a surprise.

Jesus was performing great signs and miracles that day. This attracted a big crowd of around five thousand and that was counting the men only (John 6:10). Philip’s surprise came in a form of a question – “he said to Philip, ‘Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?’” (John 6:5)

NANGYARI NA BA SA IYO IYAN? NAGDASAL KA SA DIYOS PERO PARANG BINALIK NIYA ANG TANONG SA IYO?

That question must have shocked Philip. Maybe he was not ready to give a reply. If I was Philip I would have ask Jesus – “Lord, ikaw ang boss. Ikaw na bahala” or “Di ba ito bring your own baon?” :)

Philip’s reaction was more logical than mine. He made a mental calculation and replied “Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little” (John 6:7). In short, eto ang sagot ni Philip – “IMPOSIBLE!”

Palagay ko tama naman siya. Feeding five thousand right at that very moment would take a miracle. But there is one point that we need to remember. Imposible yan kung tao lang ang kausap ni Philip. But Jesus was not. Jesus is both man & God. And we know that “with God all things are possible.” (Mark 10:27)
Kaya pag parang imposible ang sitwasyon mo, ang tamang reaksyon ay umasa ka sa Diyos. The right reaction is to rely on God. Because verse 6 says that – “He (Jesus) said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do.” (John 6:6)

Jesus knew all along what HE had to do. Advance SIYA mag-isip. He was miles ahead of Philip. Actually, way way way ahead. Jesus did a miracle that day & everyone was fed. Busog lahat sila at sobra pa.

"And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, "Gather up the fragments left over, that nothing may be lost." So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten." - John 6:12-13

There are times in our life when we also encounter something that catches us by surprise. We questioned God. We try to give our own solution or answer. We worry. We panic. We forget that He is God. Relax.

Don't say IMPOSSIBLE. Instead, in faith, declare that "with God, ITS POSSIBLE!

Share this and tag that friend who needs a miracle. - alvinfabella@yahoo.com

ARE YOU AFRAID?

Peter followed God when Jesus called him in Matthew 14:29 -- He said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.

Peter took that first step. It must have been scary for him but he still took it. Why? Did God assure Peter of a perfectly comfortable life once he followed HIM? Definitely not. But one thing is definite. Peter knew that Jesus will be with him all the way. In fact when Peter started to sink, Jesus was there for him as written in verse 31 "Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him”

Are you afraid? Don’t be. Have the courage to step out with faith. Jesus will always be there for you. - alvinfabella@yahoo.com