Magnificat

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,

my spirit rejoices in God my Savior

for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed:

the Almighty has done great things for me,

and holy is his Name. 
Luke 1:46-49

 

Each time I am called to serve or do something beyond my comfort zone, I always go back to Mary's "yes", and her canticle the Magnificat.

Mary's "yes" changed the fate of mankind, bringing to life Jesus, the Savior.  With great faith and obedience, Mary allowed herself to be used to God's work of salvation.  Without second thoughts, she said yes, entrusting to God whatever will happen next.

When I am confronted with the same dilemma, I look up to Mary with such admiration.  She is my inspiration for obedience and magnanimity, giving all of her in the service of our great God.

On the other hand, saying "yes" does not only entail responsibilities but also opens wide the door to a multitude of blessings.  Being called to serve the Lord is a blessing in itself.  Each time I'm asked by the people around me why I don't get tired of getting myself involved in the several projects for the community, I always say that it isn't a chore at all.  Through these projects I get to know myself more, and at the same time, get the chance of meeting new people and making new friends.  When struggles arise and I'm being stretched to the limit, I hold on tighter to the Lord for courage and strength.  Thus, getting me in deeper union with God.

At the outset, I often feel scared taking on a new task. But the Lord always assures us that we will be provided for with everything we need.  When He calls us, God will equip us with the tools to get our missions be accomplished:  leading us to the right people to help us, providing us with the financial and physical resources, and strengthening in us the virtues of patience, perseverance and humility.

And when "he has looked with favor on his lowly servant" and feel I am unworthy of the attention given to me, I strive to be more pious to combat all the oppressions.  And overcoming those, the more that I realize that the Lord is far greater than all my worries combined.  

Undelivered Note

There is something I'd like to tell you from the very start:  you make my heart leap.  Whenever I see you around, even if you don't notice me, I'd feel giddy.  You are my personal stimulant. You just don't know how much impact you've done to my life and if given the chance to take care of you, I'd gladly accept the job.  Sometimes I'd like to tell you that the person you are looking for is not somewhere else but right in front of you.  Don't go looking for happiness elsewhere, it just within reach, a few steps from where you are.

Most of time I'd hesitate to show you how much I care, thinking that you'll go away once you've learned that all along, since the first few weeks we started working together, I had this thing for you.  You are simply amazing:  you are far wiser and mature than guys your age and your deep-seated faith in the Lord make me admire you more.

But then, I know from the very start, we only intended us to be real good friends and nothing more than that.  But what if we give this a shot?  Hmm.. just a thought. 

For now, I'll just keep praying for you, your concerns and our harmonious partnership and projects together.  And we'll see where this "friendship" will lead us.

Let's hope for the best for both of us.

Pursuit of Happiness

Lately, I've been having recurring thoughts of considering a really unconventional vocation.  Since my last year's encounter with the Dominican Sisters of Saint Joseph at the Bethany Orphanage, until the more the recent one during my birthday, I've been entertaining thoughts of finding deeper happiness there.

And just this past Holy Week, when my friends and I went on a pilgrimage to Regina Rica in Tanay, Rizal that I realized I am experiencing an unfathomable bliss when I go on contemplation.  Also, I find it really intriguing what keeps the sisters of Regina Rosarii in their calm composure even under the extreme heat of the sun. So one Thursday afternoon, I went to their contemplation session in their sisters' home in Scout Fernandez.  We reflected on that week's Gospel (John 20:19-31):  Jesus sending out His peace to the disciples.

The experience was all I needed to refresh myself from the stressful week.  That contemplation session also got me thinking deeper the vocation the Lord wants me to pursue.

For several nights I tried listening to God's voice through my prayer time.  And for more than a week now, the message is the same: His great love.  I realized that because of His great love for each of us, He has planted the desires in our hearts.  The best way to glorify Him is to pursue that dream so that we may lovingly serve Him  best.  All He wants is for us to be happy and be grateful for the blessings He's given us by being good stewards of His creation.  Hence, whatever vocation you choose, do everything in loving service of our Great God.  And from that springs genuine happiness in life.