In His Steps

Above all, trust in the slow work of God
We are quite naturally impatient in everything
to reach the end without delay.
We should like to skip the intermediate stages.
We are impatient of being on the way to something
unknown, something new.
And yet it is the law of all progress
that it is made by passing through
some stages of instability -
and that it may take a very long time.

And so I think it is with you.
your ideas mature gradually - let them grow,
let them shape themselves, without undue haste.
Don't try to force them on,
as though you could be today what time
(that is to say, grace and circumstances
acting on your own good will)
will make of you tomorrow.

Only God could say what this new spirit
gradually forming within you will be.
Give Our Lord the benefit of believing
that his hand is leading you,
and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself
in suspense and incomplete.

- Pierre Teilhard de Chardin SJ

This is such a very profound prayer by Fr. Pierre. Reflecting on his words, it beckons me to continue to be patient with God and to completely trust that all things will just fall into place in His Time.

Like all living things, we must allow our plans, our experiences, our dreams, our hopes and aspirations to gradually mature and grow within us and lift them up to God. Because in life, there are no shortcuts nor quick detours. Quick fix solutions do not really improve or solve things... they only numb and give temporary relief. Only in God's leading and able hands are we able to feel contentment and satisfaction and the relief that no other worldly thing can ever give.

So trust in Him. And be patient. And in this Christmas season, may the joy and glory and excitement of the advent season remind us how patient Our Father had been with us. All these years, he had been patient with us.

Isn't it about time we put our trust in Him for a change?

God bless you.

Posted in: prayer, Praying with Jesuits on Friday, December 12, 2008 at at 6:34 PM 1 comments Links to this post  

Ate Shals over at On Ne Sait Jamais is so thoughtful to be giving me this Marie Antoinette award for real people. I am not really sure about the origin of this award but this is it!

Posted in: tags and awards on at at 6:25 PM 0 comments Links to this post  

Only in love can I find you, my God.
In love the gates of my soul spring open,
allowing me to breathe a new air of freedom
and forget my own petty self.In love my whole being streams forth
out of the rigid confines of narrowness and anxious self-assertion,
which makes me a prisoner of my own poverty and emptiness.
In love all the powers of my soul flow outward to you,
wanting never more to return, but to lose themselves completely in you,
since by your love you are the inmost center of my heart,
closer to me than I am to myself.

But when I love you,when I manage to break out of the narrow cirle of self
and leave behind the restless agony of unanswered questions,
when my blinded eyes no longer look merely from afar
and from the outside upon your unapproachable brightness,
and much more when you yourself, O Incomprehensible One,
have become through love the inmost center of my life,
then I can bury myself entirely in you, O mysterious God,
and with myself all my questions.
- Karl Rahner SJ

This is a Jesuit prayer so profound and full of faith and love in God that simply explains that only in love can man find God. I really love the words in this prayer as they are very powerful and can really be felt. I hope I had Fr. Rahner's eloquent words to express my love for God yet words seem to abandon me. Perhaps it is because I have not really and totally surrendered myself to Him who is Mysterious and All-Knowing. As a Christian, I still consider myself as lacking or inadequate in faith. I admit I still have a lot to learn and the journey is still long until I can finally say that I have buried myself entirely in God. I am still seeking for answers to the many questions in life. It is said that if you entrust everything to God, then you need not ask questions but instead, completely give Him control of your life. But human as I am, I still have the tendency to reason and choose my will over God's. I know I still have a lot to learn. And I know that I have to one day break out of my narrow-mindedness and allow God to rule in my life so that I may totally feel His Most Sacred Love for me.

May God bless us always.

Posted in: faith in God, love, prayer, Praying with Jesuits on Tuesday, November 4, 2008 at at 10:04 AM 1 comments Links to this post  

This came as a surprise and I am so sorry to Sarah of Steadfast Steps for doing this just now! This is long overdue and I do apologize!

Thanks Sarah for bestowing me this award. I am humbled by this recognition.


Here are the rules to follow: When you receive the prize you must write a post showing it, together with the name of who has given it to you, and link them back. Choose a minimum of 7 blogs (or even more) that you find brilliant in their content or design. Show their names and links and leave them a comment informing they were prized with ‘Brilliant Weblog’. Show a picture of those who awarded you and those you give the prize (optional).


Giving this award on to the following wonderful people:

Tara of Tara's View of the World
Yenny of Me and Mine
Kikamz of Just About Anything
Salsaberries of Salsaberries
Karen and Gerard of Karen and Gerard Zemek
Hopeful Spirit of On The Horizon
Brad of Sound of a Soft Breath


You all are great and brilliant bloggers so I hope you continue to inspire the world with your creative and brilliant writings!


God bless everyone!

Posted in: blog feature, brilliant weblog award, linky love, musings on Friday, October 31, 2008 at at 8:07 PM 2 comments Links to this post  

Today, the world celebrates Halloween. But there is no trick or treating for us this time of the year because the baby is sick. And as Catholics, we celebrate these Holy days on the 1st and 2nd of November, the 1st being All Saints' Day and the 2nd, All Souls' Day.

Back in the Philippines, we hold novenas or nine days of praying for our departed loved ones souls prior to Nov. 2nd. We pray that their souls rest in peace and that they are now in the Glory of the Kingdom of God. Then on Nov. 1st, we pray and pay honor to our saints who have made our world a better place to live in. On Nov. 2nd, we remember our dead and visit their tombs in the cemetery to clean, pray and gather together. Some offer food and drink for the souls since it is believed that on that day, the souls have a feast too. It is also usually a time for family gatherings since it is officially a non-working holiday and many go back to their provinces to pay respect to their dead.

And since we are here in Japan, we will only light up candles at home for the souls of our dear departed and give a mass for their souls on Sunday, November 2nd. The good thing is that there are churches here that hold Sunday masses in English and just like in any Catholic church anywhere, a special mass for the souls will be celebrated.

Here is hoping that everyone has a safe and happy halloween. Take care everyone and God bless!

Posted in: All Saints' Day, All Souls' Day, Catholicism, Halloween on at at 7:20 PM 0 comments Links to this post  

Today's Readings:
First Reading: Proverbs 21:1-6, 10-13
Psalm 119
Gospel: Luke 8:19-21

Then his mother and his brothers came to see him but were unable to join him because of the crowd. He was told, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside and they wish to see you." He said to them in reply, "My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it."

"My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it." Luke 8:21

When we first joined CFC or Couples for Christ here in Japan,I thought that it was going to be just a passing thing - that we would not be able to actively participate in the household meetings and all that. I thought this way because during that time, I was pregnant with our first child and thought that it would hinder us from joining since some of our household members live almost an hour away by train. But I was proven wrong. Household after household, we would join. No matter the distance and the late hours when we would have to travel back home. Perhaps it is God's love that sustained us and inspired us to be present in the household meetings.

One thing that I do love about the CFC is that our community here feels like our own family. There are no pretenses, no reservations - just the full acceptance of our brothers and sisters. It matters not what your stature in life is. It feels so good to be in fellowship with this people who, despite their accomplishments in life, remain simple, down to earth and steadfast in their faith in God. This is where I felt genuine love from my brothers and sisters. There is where I felt welcomed and at home. And now that I have my baby to take care, we cannot attend the household meetings regularly anymore. But I am comforted by the fact that even if we are not there, they still continue to pray for us as we for them. And if the opportunity to hold the household meeting in our home arises, we always say YES. It is just so hard to pass up this opportunity to be in fellowship with people who share the same faith and culture.

Thank God for this Christian family in a land where there seems to be religion.

Posted in: CFC, God`s family, gospel on Tuesday, September 23, 2008 at at 4:55 PM 3 comments Links to this post  

Today's Readings:
First Reading: 1 Corinthians 2:10-16
Psalm 145
Gospel: Luke 4:31-37

Jesus Drives Out an Evil Spirit
Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath began to teach the people. They were amazed at his teaching, because his message had authority. In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an evil spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, "Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!" "Be quiet!" Jesus said sternly. "Come out of him!" Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him. All the people were amazed and said to each other, "What is this teaching? With authority and power he gives orders to evil spirits and they come out!" And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area.

Jesus rebuked him and said, "Be quiet! Come out of him!" - Luke 4:35

There are times in my life when I thought that I could rely solely on my own strength and intelligence and will. These are the times when I thought that I could do anything - when successes come one after the other. These are such happy and glorious times that I tend to rely solely on myself. But there are also times when challenges beset me. Believing that I can do it myself because I have been victorious and successful in many ways, I depend on what I have and what I can do. Then things begin to crumble to pieces because I only have myself to rely upon. I know I can do it, but why do I seem to fall apart?

It is during these failing moments, when I seem to give up on life, that I pray to God. There, God revealed to me my own pride. Of course I lift up to Him my weakness, I do trust in His power to help me in my weaknesses, but I too often rely on myself - Ah, Pride! But what good can it do?

God used these circumstances to teach me that victoriously serving Him does not hinge on my willpower or even talents He has given me. God calls on me to rely solely on His power in all circumstances. This power that He gave to us as believers is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. And it is also the power that Jesus Christ used to command the evil spirit to leave the man in today's Gospel reading. While things don't always go as I expect, I am learning to rely on God's power and greatness than on my personal fortitudes.

May God bless us all!

Posted in: gospel, reliance on God on Tuesday, September 2, 2008 at at 6:04 AM 0 comments Links to this post