HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Happy Father's Day to all dads! May God continually grant you the grace to touch more hearts and bless more lives for God's glory...and in the process, bring so much joy and contentment in your heart.

On this special day for dads, let me share with you my personal reflection. It's also my Philippine Independence Day tribute to all fathers. (...kaya kahit mahirap...Tagalog 'to, mga kapatid! Gudlak na lang sa mga "spokening dollars"... hehehe.)

"Ama Natin"

"Tatay... Itay... Papa... Daddy... Dada..." Iba-ibang paraan ng pagtawag ngunit isa lamang ang kahulugan--AMA.

Sa mababang paaralan ko unang narinig na ang ama ang haligi ng tahanan. Katulad ng mga bakod na nakapaligid sa isang bahay, gayon din naman, tungkulin ng isang ama na pangalagaan ang kanyang nag-iisang asawa at mga anak, sa loob o labas man ng kanilang tahanan.

Iba't iba ang pamamaraan ng mga tatay sa pangangalaga at pagmamahal sa kani-kanilang pamilya. May tatay na siya palagi ang dapat masunod. May tatay na binibigyan naman ng halaga ang opinyon at damdamin ng bawat kasapi ng pamilya. May tatay na nauubos ang oras sa paghahanap-buhay upang maibigay ang mga materyal na pangangailangan ng asawa at mga anak. Mayroon namang ama na sa gitna ng maraming trabaho ay nakukuha pa ring magbigay ng panahon sa pakikipag-usap o pakikipaglaro sa mga anak.

Maraming tatay sa mundo. Alam nating lahat na hindi mabubuo ang isang bata kung walang tatay... subalit alam rin ba nating lahat kung paano maging isang tunay na ama? Sino nga ba ang maituturing na huwarang ama dito sa atin?

Pagsama-samahin man ang lahat na matatawag na ulirang ama dito sa mundo, wala nang hihigit pa sa isang AMA na nagbayad ng hindi NIYA inutang, nagparaya kahit SIYA ang tunay na nagmamay-ari, nagpapasensya at nagtitiyaga kahit hindi SIYA pinapansin, higit sa lahat -- patuloy na nagmamahal kahit patuloy na sinasaktan. Kilala mo ba... ang AMA NATIN?

I can't thank HIM enough... so I just simply say, "ALL GLORY TO GOD, OUR FATHER!"

Again, happy father's day to all the fathers out there!

GOD BLESS YOU INDEED!!!

In Christ,
Chic

My Personal Pentecost

Pentecost Sunday is fast approaching. Let me share with you a story that opens with a prayer:

“COME, HOLY SPIRIT, FILL THE HEARTS OF YOUR FAITHFUL AND ENKINDLE IN THEM THE FIRE OF YOUR LOVE…”

I remember saying this together with my schoolmates back in high school as our morning prayer during the flag ceremony every single day. Having grown accustomed to it, it has become a beautiful part of my morning prayers since then. Going back a little further, I remember the first time I was introduced to the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. It was about a month or two before I entered high school life when I, together with my sister and our maid, reluctantly attended the Catholic Life in the Spirit Seminar (CLSS) at the loved Flock Charismatic Community in Quezon City. It was a youth seminar actually, and I was even one of the participants who gamely raised their hands when asked, “Sino sa inyo ang pinilit mag-attend ng seminar na ‘to?” It was just an honest reaction of a carefree 13-year old.

Little did I know that it would be the start of my beautiful love affair with the Lord. However, as expected of teenagers, I did not give too much of my time to the Prayer Meetings that we were invited to. Hence, the slow growth of the seed planted in my soul during the said CLSS. Unknowingly, I was being led into something. The Holy Spirit kept knocking at the door of my young heart. Somebody would invite me to another CLSS in another community, and I would oblige. Sometime after, I would visit another community and attend the same seminar (with different set of speakers, of course), and another still without regularly attending Prayer Meetings and not joining any ministry. It went on until the Holy Spirit said, “Enough of the taking, Chic. It’s about time to give.” I believe the Spirit moved me to share myself and my gifts with my brothers and sisters in a community. Something happened along the way and I decided to join the Emmanuel Catholic Charismatic Community at the Sto. Nino de Paz Chapel in Greenbelt, Makati.

The Spirit blows where it wishes. The Spirit moves when it wishes. Actually I realized that we do not need to ask the Holy Spirit to come for it is already here with us since the First Pentecost. It is the fulfillment of the Lord’s promise, that is, to send us a Helper Who will guide us in our journey to wholeness to be with us forever in our spiritual walk. Even if we do not utter “Come, Holy Spirit…”, the presence of the Holy Spirit will always be manifested and felt in our daily life if only we would train ourselves to recognize and listen to His voice in the midst of worldly noise and confusion. We will constantly feel the presence of the Holy Spirit if we would empty our heart of the things of this world. Then we will be able to recognize and use our gifts, thus, generously sharing with our brothers and sisters in Christ the power of the Holy Spirit relentlessly working in and through us.

It is said that the love of the Father and the Son brings forth the Holy Spirit. I am closing this now with a prayer: “By virtue of love, by the power of the Holy Spirit, may we all be a wonderful blessing to one another… in Jesus’ Name. Amen.”