My Blog/jyojyo

God prepares a place for us, and He intently reserves this, as He knows that we desire to conquer over the problems in our life. As God is with us, He will ferry us to the desired place even a place of worship. In the midst of impetuous journey, we should be assured that finally we should come to the place we long for and even be tranquilized having rested in that place. Then as we have reached this place, we shall burn the boat that ferry us that we may not look back to our past.

We should not yield to any instance that may give us the temptation to look back, and now be determined, as we avoid being ruined to the memory of our past. We desiring to obtain repose must rest away from sufferings and be effaced of troubles as we settle to our choice. Likewise, even with the preempting occurrence of death as we pursue our goal, we shall still hound settling to our choice as the glory of God is hefted. As we seem to perceive, it is a reality that victory await us. In the times of assault, we should be strong to face apprehended instances as we keep holding on to the Lord. The promise of heaven will give us strength, as we also want to go in an empyrean or paradise.

We should be burning with desire even attacked by what we assume to be the Devils, as even these fiendish creatures, though seemingly treated as a state of mind, unless he is indeed true in existence, will not also surrender his territory, that’s why we need to evade from his region. As we once wanted to be helped, even discouraged, we should pursue our goal seeking compassion in our ministry, as victory is ahead of us. The darkest time of night is the hour before dawn for it is an irritating period of waiting. In the time that we cannot stand robust, with the help of our friends we can still be substantiated.

God will be with you to the point that we shall assimilate victory. Just keep sustained, and be enlightened that even with compulsion, we shall finally claim jubilation. We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus be also manifested in our body (2 Corinthians 4:8-10). The puzzle is that, we have seen in the evening of our life that the dint of the problem is ruining us, and as its rapidity is very cogent, we cannot help but be annoyed. Likewise, we should not lose the mark that the journey imprints in us, even amidst problems and frustrations as we take a firm hold to the strength from God.

We should focus our eyes to that mark that by our sufferings, entwined in us is the assurance of God as we endeavor to complete our goals. Even if we avoid all measures that demure us, we are in a journey and are sustained to ride on to the predicament as it is the will of God that we are in a mission, even facing hard situations that we need to pursue giving in to occurrences of life as we depend to our sight by God’s guidance, even to the presence of miracles giving us various opportunities to grab.

Upon hearing the assurance, in the time desired for us, we shall come back fully resurrected, and a new being even becoming the man of God. So we are admonished not to turn behind in every wake but to grab willingly the promise in our life. We should not be deluded by situations as we have Jesus who lays the greatest gift, which is the bestowal in our vivacity, that we may endure, even battle the whiles of the Devil if he really exists. With us feeling sadness now and then, let us be open to Jesus and relate our troubles to him, even with closeness as we feel the nearness of his return.

It is high time that we should believe that we are facing a battle against the many problems in our life. We shall fight and we will claim victory. We need to stand and conquer even in the territory away from our desire. Though it is heavy for us to experience this, we need to claim the vow as many depend upon us, even the souls that are lost. The Lord comforts us with these words, “Just keep holding on my child, even the presence of Jesus is only grasped in our mind.” We would be glad to feel his embrace, much more, we will likely rejoice if we shall see him with our sight.

We need to pursue with our life and we need to tighten the loose belt even our girdle. Life is hard as trials come rapidly in our life, for in this present time, we are in the brim of the promise. Ahead of us is heaven, somehow almost by our grasp. It’s time to decide whether to serve the Lord or not. We should commit ourselves, as victory is not far off. Before we know it, we are already enjoying the blessings of God. The Lord wants us beside him when he comes.

It’s time to burn our past, even the ship that ferry us to the seemingly empyrean place, and not turn our backs from the Lord. We to defeat our reluctant spirit must pursue the battle towards victory. It’s time to give us to the Lord; no turning back sailing down to the isles for our life is with God, as He is our tower, a strong perfume of our delight. Blessed be the name of the Lord!

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God gave intelligence to humans
that his message would be spread, to cover all bounds of the earth. It is man’s
desire to reach heaven and that he need to be subjected to the will of God. By
the grace of God we are saved as our faith humbles us making us tranquil souls
dealing intelligently the situations in our life. Two thousand years ago, Jesus
being compelled to follow the will of the Father has to be sacrificed as a form
of Passover, and he has to suffer for the sake of his dear ones. Diligently, he
tried his best to mend the ways of his disciples, as he desired to save them
from the bondage of sin. Jesus having fulfilled his mission sighs, “It is
finished!”

In a different context, Noah built the

Ark

in preparation for the coming flood.
Likewise, since during the time of Noah, there is no rain, the people ridiculed
him. Noah preached about the coming flood for 120 years with God giving a grace
period. As the people whose hearts were hardened to the last minute did not
accede to Noah’s warning, God closed the door of the

Ark.

We noticed here that the people had a
very hard time in believing Noah’s words. In a separate situational, Thomas,
the apostle of Christ withholds reliance to the resurrection of Jesus whom his
fellow apostles are telling of having risen, because he wanted to personally
see Jesus with the wounds in his hands and side, for him to believe.

The greatest problem among Christians is the teaching, since we
differ in each of our own analysis. Thinking intently, we should realize that
we are the targets of the Devil that he may prove that our testimony is but a
mockery. If a Christian lives a life that is not in accordance with the will of
God, he is held responsible not only for his deeds but also of the welfare of
other people whom he influences. Since in the desired period all of us will be
giving an account of all his works, we should not speak any evil to each other,
if we could only avoid. We have in our perceptions mirrors of others’ lives but
we should not be discouraged of their works and words.

We should aim for heaven and not speak evil to one another.
Instead, captivating various insights, we should enjoy the word of God. In our
desire to be lifted up, we should not forget that we must settle our
misunderstanding the earliest possible time. Rather than judge each other, we
need to subdue the influence of their wrong doing that we capture in our
experience of listening from these other people. We should be reconciled to our
brothers to refresh the fellowship, renewing generous hearts in our acts of
forgiveness and humility. We should also avoid being exposed to places, which
rupture the wounds even places of worship in other congregations. We should
avoid breaking relationships, and evade from the evil that someone would accuse
us. We in our worship need to consult our hearts, as it is our desire to settle
differences that our worship will be acceptable to God, our Father.

Problems when prolonged and left to worsen will result to delusion
and misunderstanding. Even small holes when left aside enlarge the damage. We
should be prayerful so that when problems knock in our doors, we know then what
to do. If our problem is pride as we see others in their wrongdoing, we should
not be overcome by our emotions as not to end up hating them. Being blinded by
our heartaches, as we are helpless, we should be alarmed not to ride on in the
situation of the problem but to divert to other means that can alleviate our
hatred. In an effort to baby-sit pride, King Saul wanted to kill David, as he
knows that David is capable of being the next King.

Jonathan in an effort to take David away from danger safeguarded
him eluding him from dangerous areas, this because they were close to each
other. David in a situation where he had Saul closely captured as the latter
was within his reach, was warned by God through his conscience not to stain
God’s anointed, this even David had all the chance to rebel against Saul.
Moreover learning that David had been in close attack but had been merciful to
him, Saul bended down and admitted that he has sinned.

In that very hour that Saul was almost assaulted if David had been
tempted to lure him, the latter received an advice from Abishai, one of David’s
generals, as this man whispered to him, “God has delivered your enemy into your
grasp this day. Let me nail him to the ground with one thrust of the spear; I
will not need a second thrust (1 Samuel 26:8).” David had these words: “Do not
harm him, for who can lay hands on the Lord’s anointed and remain unpunished (1
Samuel 26:9).” Saul admitting his mistakes said, “I have sinned.” There is a
problem between two persons but one of them humbled. They struggled for the
Kingdom, but King Saul humbled.

We should renew our ties every time and admit to ourselves that we
can still forgive our brother. With him insisting on his fiery words, we can
avoid the person to refrain from being polluted of his words and be hurt.
Somehow, we should leave to God’s hands his mete. We should be enlightened that
we are Christians, as we need to cleanse us seeking fresh waters and by God’s
mercy, we should know well that in our salient grounds, we could still find
true friends, those who will not ruin us and is ready for their comforting advice.
Likewise, we should thank God for the grace period and for the many people who
still loves us, that we may be willing to suffer even to offer our life for the
sake of our dear ones.

- Jose Constante I. Nartatez

There is a moment in our life when it is needed that we refine our purpose of living knowing well that we are intently created to serve the Lord. We must not look on the mistakes of others. Likewise, we need to continue loving each other. If we could be honest, we are enlightened that it is desired that we avoid criticizing others especially those who had been part of our growth. Instead, we need to examine our day-to-day dispositions accepting our very own mistakes, and the need to correct these.

We must not be blind unable to change ourselves especially our ineffective dispositions and old tactics that do not already help us. We can divert our thoughts and be inclined to affirm others. Whatever were their misery in the past, we need not divulge their shameful experiences for they too crave to obtain the desired peace of mind and the only way for this to be achieved is to forgive whoever is their offender and forget totally what incident that ruined their life before. After all, no one is perfect and not one is a god to him, we being humans. Why not instead study again the Bible? We can even be productive with our new insights. Likewise, we need to repent ourselves and pray regularly. Even with the trials we endure, we must be awakened to the truth that we alleviate realities, and conquer temptations with God’s help. Aside from this, it is a reality that almost all of us get help from our fellow Christians.

After some analysis, we found ourselves awake and are addict to worship for God. In our salad days of growing, we must accept that we likely fall to some pits. Yet to their delight, some rejoice over other’s misery even they too does not know the answer to their questions. As they were just forced to criticize given the occurrence, which they have no choice to prevent likewise, I understand them, they being just human. It is by my conception too that I find them just in their action to protect their beliefs from those who had already differed from their faith.

I know it was I in my desire to spread the truth that have forced myself to intrude in their area of worship in my craving to take them as part of me and love humanity. They were not selfish unlike my presumption of them before. I enjoyed their company for a season and I still long to love them brotherly forgetting what pain they have caused my mind and emotion. Likewise, if I were on their side I would opt for a different strategy. I would comfort them, console them, and try to explain in the subtlest way, that it is not of my desire that we differ in our faith explanations. In this way, I can present to them clearly my side with all the enlightenment coming from the Holy Spirit without being carried by an uprising of emotion avoiding grounds, which would likely hurt both of us.

I know, they don’t intend to demoralize me, they being faithful to what they believe to be true. After all they are still my friends though the Bible teaches that we should not be equally yoked with them. I don’t care anymore if they consider their church a ‘private property’ barring my entrance to what they call a ‘danger zone’. They have all the right to the choice of their own opinions contradicting mine. I know, it is no longer time for war but for understanding each other to meet halfway not spoiled by differences in doctrines. I don’t care anymore if they blab with my personal life and neither would I think that their tongues are sinful, and our doctrine superior than theirs. After all, I was into being conceited too before and I find it hard to subdue my emotion given the prevailing circumstances in my life that contribute to my illness.

I would never think anymore that I am more swift in pace in proclaiming the gospel for they too had been anointed by God and not one can touch God’s anointed without being punished, even if they were just favored for a season. I would instead approach them again and again to resolve misunderstanding even if they think that I was dirt and a devil, after all these were their opinions that need to be respected. They all have the right to it. Maybe I was really a demon to them that forced them to inflict me to subdue my boastfulness. Maybe, I was tied to my intelligence and had been forcing an entry to explain Catholic doctrines, which they think, are doctrines of the Devil. Even with these enlightenments, I would still save our friendship. I would still try my best given the occasion to withstand their form of preaching even to my knowledge, I would find them stoning lambs.

I too have sinned and had been forgiven. It is my duty to grant the same forgiveness and not be blinded by remorse and heartaches. It was I who had been a glutton to my own opinions that have prevented me from being a special creation. My insights were darkened as I force my own outlook to theirs. I don’t find them anymore as vampires sucking power. Instead, I find them men of honest report, they being faithful to what they believe to be right. This is not the time for religious war but of helping one another disseminate the truth, and explain it in a clearer way. They have the right too to the post whereby they are designated. It is wrong to think they defend it just to get money. They are mature enough to have the right to do what they want to do even break hearts to humble a person.

Unlike before that I lose my respect to them, I thank them for molding my person even if they have drove me crazy. It is not important that I for a season have lost everything. What is important is that I had been changed by the word of God, and by the generosity of others for granting me forgiveness that I may also learn to forgive. Somehow, though until now I do not consider myself perfect being still weak and sensitive upon hearing unfavorable comments, I can still close my eyes and be tearful after hearing them, and even as I have secluded away. Yes, tearfully I would hide away and comfort my self like David, Joshua, and Jacob. Afterwards, I would be glad to find myself a new and purified Jyojyo.

- Jose Constante I. Nartatez 

A person who believes in God is
a Theistic person, while one who does not believe in God is an Atheist. A
person who believes in one God is a ‘monotheist’ while a person who believes in
many gods is a ‘polytheist’. Christians and Muslims both believe in one God. In
Greek mythology, there are both male and female gods. The God of the Hindu is
Brahman, even a god with ten thousand hands. Brahman is closely associated with
his two friends Vishnu and Shiva. Greeks have considered mythology and has
regarded as goddess one whom they named Venus. Likewise, there are many other
beliefs.

Christianity, Jewish and Islam religion both believe in one God.
Others believe in impersonal god or a god who is not a person, while Catholics
and some other Christian religions believe in a personal God or a God who is a
person. Extreme consciousness is called ‘nirvana’. The Jews called their God, Yahweh, while
Muslims call him Allah.

God is personal because he can be felt and continue to
influence us in our daily lives and continue to create great things even
through miracles. He is personal because he revealed himself and continually
communicates to us. He creates all things. Our God did create air. He uses water
to create which has a Latin word ‘Agua’ or in chemistry ‘H2O’. You have to drink
water to experience water. That’s why we need to drink God, and having done so
we have tasted God who exist in everything and in everyone, and who is the God
of the Catholic Christians. If we believe in one God, we should believe in the
blessed Trinity, which is the three (3) assertions, or one God in three
persons. You don’t have to criticize other religions, your belief should be as
clear as water, and pure.

We should have a belief that is of the child’s likeness, like of
the gaiety of the Infant Jesus of Prague or the Sto. Niño. We should have a
taste of the Sto Niño so we could be helped to considerably obtain in our own
little way as a Christian the great knowledge of God as revealed by his spirit
which is the Holy Spirit. I have tasted God being a religious or belonging to
the religious congregation called Franciscan Conventuals or the Order Friars
Minor Conventual. Being a religious, priests there don’t have a salary; each
one’s money is the money of all. We don’t hide any amount, but all goes to the
religious congregation. If you have acquired something, it is given to the
congregation.

Being in the religious congregation, Fr. Glenn Paul Gomez
testifies of going to

Rome

and witnessing the
canonization of saints and the great miracles in year 2003, and have gone to

Dubai

,

Germany

and

Poland

,
and even meet Pope John Paul II and have audience with him. He learned the word
‘grati’ or ‘thank you’. He stayed a week in

France

,
where Mama Mary appeared in

Lourdes

.

We should derive inspiration from God, like that which we obtain
from the healing Eucharist, which is a fruit of love. ABS-CBN has the coverage
of the Healing Eucharist where there are 23 persons in-charge, like the audio
man, cameramen, and director. The God as the one Catholics serve is genuine.
“This is our God, springing from the fruit of our prayers”, says Fr. Glenn.

He asserts that there is
enlightenment in prayer with God as you learn from God. With this, everybody
understands you, like for example we have Chito Tagle of Imus,

Cavite

, a Summa Cum Laude, and an
international Theologian. All can understand you if your explanations are
clear, which is a product of prayers and meditations, and your resurrection
from illness and desert life.

The Holy Spirit in our life created everything. God gave
everything for free. He even created man or put man to flesh. This is what we
called incarnation or made manifest in flesh. Jesus is the God that was
manifested in flesh. So this answers our question in our book title. God
was made visible by manifesting in flesh through the Infant Jesus of Prague or
the Sto. Niño, and manifesting as God the Holy Spirit through the Pentecost.

The Holy Spirit did communicate as the Third Person of the
Trinity. ‘

Para

’ means ‘alone’, while
‘Paraclete’ means ‘Advocate God’. ‘Advocare’ means ‘he created for us’. The
original word for spirit is ‘pneuma’. If you have the spirit, it means you are
alive. That’s why there is spirit in the community meaning the community is
alive. On the Pentecost, the Apostles and disciples spoke different languages
and understood one another. The community did have understanding of each other.
The real Spirit is in the community like the Sto. Niño Catholic Charismatic
Renewal and Revival Community found in Kalibo, Aklan.

All of us serve God. Our edge from others is serving God. Our
vision of vocation widens with serving God. You develop the feeling of love
through serving God, no matter who you are or what you are. You don’t need to
complain, even if you become a bachelor for your entire life. Prayer on the
other hand is conversation. You need to communicate with God, and to
consciously connect yourself with your God. Like when you switch on the light,
the room becomes flooded with light. You’ve got to have a thorough prayer.

If you are connected with God, you don’t feel weary in anything
you do. Your prayer should be this: OPEN THE EYES OF MY HEART LORD. Then, you
will understand the mystery of God in a flood of insights and enlightenment,
even pouring out freely from the container. You’ve got to have faith, and faith
in God merits all. It can give you all the simple things you can desire in a
simplified belief.

- Jose Constante I. Nartatez

God
conquers darkness. The situation is that we usually fear darkness. Somehow, God
gives us light to show the way. In times of problems, we should approach God,
for it’s only Him that can conquer darkness and death as He gives us eternal
life. God can defeat death through resurrection. We even aim to enjoy eternal
life through the resurrection of Jesus, where we also are resurrected as we are
cleansed, new and purified.

Sin
is synonymous to death, and death is synonymous to darkness. Every time we
commit sins, we break the bond with Christ. We were once dead men in Christ,
but strengthening our faith in Him, though we are under bondage of sin and we
face death, we can still have hope in the miracle of resurrection if only we
would confess all our sins, of which being forgiven, we can conquer darkness in
our life. The question is: “Have we conquered death?”

We
fail to resurrect, because, we hide to ourselves and suppress our hatred, and
we bear grudges as our past soils us. If we only allow hatred to surface, it
will die down naturally. We cannot avoid being caught in this kind of emotion
and its consequences because that is part of the process. We need to undergo
the stage of unveiling the things that keeps us in bondage. It has to be freely
released for it to die down naturally. If we don’t want to be seen in public
with our emotions uprising, we can confess our heartaches to the priests. We
can couple it with fasting and entwine it with sacrifice such as abstinence,
humility and acceptance.

We
have to identify what were those that blocked our way and deal it accordingly
for us to regain our peace of mind. We need to pour out and abandon for us to
see the brighter side of life. We need to put to death our human nature
especially hypocrisy and pretensions, pride and ego. To deal out our problems
and release the bondage, it has to be unveiled surfaced so they will be crushed
to pieces in a natural way. Sometimes, we need to pass the period of recurrence
and regression so that the bondage will be broken the fastest possible means.

We
need to think in a healthy way and accept temperaments, especially holy anger.
Remember Jesus in the temple with the merchants and moneychangers, though
hating once. Afterwards it is our nature to correct ourselves and encourage
ourselves comforting our inmost souls. Our sins that piled up need
restructuring with us not leading to arrogance in ourselves, but just prudent
enough to face the truth regarding the process as we return to what we have
done in the past that soils our present life if we are determined to forget
everything that has to do with our past. Unless we face our past and accept it,
with the determination to forget it afterwards that we had dealt well the pain,
our memory of it will become monsters in our hearts horrifying our poor souls
even making us deranged.

After
the process, we need to be lifted up as we identify instances that hurt us most
conveying or sharing our experiences to others who to our desperation in our
frailty can only give temporary alleviation. We need to be sure that after the
process though it is a hard thing to do, we should be determined to destroy the
bondage through acceptance that things have already happened. All that we have
to do is to sail on till we reach tranquil waters convincing our very selves
that though unsettled, we through other means like generosity of mercy to
others and bareness of our thoughts from unforgettable memories, especially
occurrence of genuine healing, will have the heart to obtain the generosity to
forgive and forget. By releasing or being able to tell the truth about what
causes your heartaches and turmoil, we hop into the stage of tranquility. To be
triumphant in being a master of forgiveness, we need to know what were our
desires as we identify and accept our weaknesses.

In
the beautiful turn of events, we realize that we are not bounded by evils and
the Devil for we realize that these manifestations of bad karma are but a state
of mind of which we are not subject to them. We overcome death of our inmost
souls, as we are courageous to uncover what were our boundaries that
scandalized us long ago ruining our souls for a season, usually affecting our
relationship with the very important individuals whose monstrous roles in our
life story have created for us burdens that are heavy to bear. Likewise, we
fail to overcome our bondages because we baby-sit our hatred keeping it to
ourselves ungenerous or just plain arrogant as we hide our remorse. The result
is that we fail to forgive and forget because of the remaining frustration in
us as our emotions are locked hidden sending us to the streets unable to handle
ourselves in a light way, as we become troubled in our effort to hide the shame
of other people protecting it in our own desperate way. This stain in our
memory with us harboring grudges in a never-ending way will be the ones that
will destroy us mentally and spiritually.

We
fail to function as real Christians because we fail to accept the past and let
go of its occurrence to the point that we are led to hate ourselves, and unable
to forgive ourselves, making love for others a hypocrisy and is impossible with
us becoming more likely animals than humans. Furthermore, we lose our dignity
and composure as we are chained to our bitterness. If dealt accordingly, after
the release of experiences, mostly, those that are very much hurting, being
relieved, we begin to have peace of mind. In this way, we also begin to think
differently. Even in the event of desperation, if we are only submissive to
letting go, to our surprise as we move on, we even discover the funny side in
us. We become individuals having light spirits and are inclined to laugh at our
own mistakes.

To
avoid recurrence, we need to establish fruitful and fresh exchange of
communication and expression, relating to others our day to day thoughts till
our mind becomes void and empty, that we can refill it with beautiful and fresh
ideas making us citizens of heaven living on earth pursuing knowledge with the
light of the gospel. It is important to heal the wounds. In effect, we in the
long run would never hurt ourselves anymore and are recipient of peace of mind
and good health. Though it is wrong to be subject to anger, we also need to be
prudent choosing what’s best for our health. What is wrong is to keep the
hatred to ourselves and suffer afterwards enslaved by instances that may break
our head sending us to wander in the streets or count plastics and tear papers
even to the most horrifying reality of eating leftovers from wastebaskets.
Sometimes we need to be angry but not overcame by anger. Once and for all,
after the occurrence of healing, we allow the spirit of reconciliation to bear
fruit. Knowing well that we have hatred in our hearts, we need to confess these
to the priests, as we need to be healed of the repeatedly recurring thoughts in
our hearts.

-Jyotisman
Nearu Upendra

In the time after that the transfiguration of Jesus was
revealed, Jesus with Peter, James and John has to go down from the top of the
mountain. In the same way likewise, we have to go down for us to face the
reality of our lives. Jesus meanwhile has to face death as he goes down hill
and approach Jerusalem thereon. In a separate occasion, in order for Jesus to
cure the man born blind, he need to spit in the mud that he must place in the eyes
of the blind man. Accordingly, Lazarus needs to be untied in the time that
Jesus performed the miracle of resurrecting him (Lazarus).

The name “Lazarus” means, “God is my health”. It was
proven that through resurrection, Jesus is more powerful than death thus
conquering it. Christ becomes our companion especially in times of misery.
Miracles were performed for Jesus to reveal the glory of God. “Death cannot
prevent the glory of God,” articulates Fr. Paul Andrew S. Sayon V. He carefully
identified that Jesus is the Master of life and death. He said that we should
prepare for our demise for it is the moment for us that we are to encounter
Jesus.

What took place in the context of the resurrection of
Lazarus is the synonymous reality that Jesus is the giver of life. Because of
sin, man has to face death, but Jesus surpasses this occurrence because with
Jesus, death was conquered replaced by a new life because Jesus is the “life
bearer”, and that his presence is meaningful because he hailed man from sin to glory.
God indeed through Jesus has shown His glory. Each one who shares a
Jesus-filled life, experiencing it, becomes aware of his encounter with Jesus
as the person obtains a new life. Anybody can experience this sequential
process by the side of Jesus if he only desires.

Martha and Mary are believers of Jesus but each of these
two personalities has distinguishable characteristics. While Martha accompanied
Jesus to the tomb of Lazarus, Mary chose to be in solace praying. Martha in
disgust though pays the Lord respect remorse by saying to Jesus that his
brother would not have died if Jesus had been within their reach in the
severity of Lazarus’ illness. In the time that Jesus arrived in the tomb,
Lazarus was already stinking being dead for four days.

Martha grieved in remorse, as Jesus being compassionate is
equally mournful and assures Martha who stays beside, unlike Mary who in solace
was somehow maybe locked in her room or situated in an isolated place,
determined not to question God. With a sort of enlightenment, Fr. Paul says,
“We should not bear a query to God questioning his deeds, as he has his own
Divine plan. When faced with a big problem, we ought to inscribe in our mind
and heart that God loves us even if we are in a difficult situation.”

Standing by God’s presence, we are faced with this
boomerang: “Do we receive Jesus as a visitor in our homes even if he by
omnipresence was somehow disguised in the form of any other person?” By the act
of welcoming Jesus anytime, God becomes generous by attending to our problems
and is attentive to our supplications. We should work hard for a thing, for
after enduring sufferings, it becomes easy for us to relate to someone whose
problem is similar to what we had encountered.

Behind our mere span of sight as we are darkened of
despair, if only we would be flexible as to see light, it will be revealed to
us what satisfactory plan God reserves for our condition. We only need to
surrender our pains and difficulties to God. It should be of our attitude to
check our reminders as in a training camp for us to progress identifying the
right direction. We ought to be confident and sincere before we travail
enduring with strength as we are shaped and are ripe for determination. If we
would only realize that death, especially our own is a beautiful encounter for
it means we can now face Jesus.

If one fears God, death becomes different, as life to a
faithful sojourning pilgrim is but temporary. “We should be prepared to face
death just like our first day in school, like our first communion, and that
upon determining the date of marriage as it approaches as scheduled for we then
are obliged to prepare flowers, dresses and others. Likewise it is sad to note
that when it comes to death, we hide the reality in the time that this has to
pass. It is our duty to prepare the sick and should be aware to allow a priest
to attend to his needed confessions and for him to be anointed not for death
but for spiritual health,” explains Fr. Paul. He said, “Confession and
anointing of the sick gives a new life even in painful moments.”

What is pleasing with Martha is that she expresses faith
in Jesus, that his brother shall obtain life. We should observe that in one’s demise, he knows not where will he be
going, but with the life that Jesus offers, he can have hope, and in the same
way can trust God whom the mourners can rely for their passing family member,
relative or friend. With a priest giving absolution to his (the dying’) sins
through confession meant for God whom the priest personifies and with this God
generous of forgiveness, man can obtain peace and he will be blessed with the
thought that there will be no room for despair in the eve of his death for his
faith is affirmed.

Lazarus came back to life but should be untied. In the
same way if we long to receive peace and face a new life, we should be untied
of our past that we should scrap these away from us, and welcome the rolling
beside of the stone if we have to be raised new and purified. We should
cooperate and participate in many situations of healing, for God is willing to
help us. We can be mitigated even be totally healed or can obtain rescue if we
help ourselves, so God can be assured of the instance in what way will He
approach helping us if we cling to Him as He finds love, with us giving our
consent even if in our human nature we have choices whether we ought to submit
to His desires or chooses to refuse being helped.

-Jyotisman Nearu Upendra 

The Lord still communicates with us even in the most
obscuring situation of our lives. Even in difficult moments, the Lord is still
with us. We are part of him being oil lamps of Holy Ghost indwelling. Citing
for example the experience of Jonah, even in the bottom of the sea, God still
conveys to him what is His will to Jonah’s life. We should discern the will of
God for even the only begotten Son Jesus had been subjected to the will of the
Father. Jesus fasted and prayed, and like us, was tempted though he did not
give in to the Devil’s enticements but manages to be tenacious and was firm to
his mission that is the salvation of man.

It was not actually the length of fasting that Jesus was
steadfast and strong against the luring enemy, but that he was honed and was
prepared for the coming delegation of duties to him by the Father. In Noah’s
time, there was cleansing as it rained for forty days. Moses however
communicated with God by the burning bush for 40 days. Jonah was in 40 days of
preparation for his mission. Combining everything, the common denominator is
that they all prayed.

In the Paschal Mystery, there was suffering, death and
resurrection of our Lord Jesus, in the same way that we must repent, and must
be cleansed by dying to our sins, for us to receive relief as we obtain
healing, with this episode moreover occurring as our sins are forgiven, knowing
well from our hearts that we are shaped as a new being. We can descry that
based from these that are mentioned, it is as if it was arranged that in Acts
2:38 which speaks about repentance, baptism for the forgiveness of sins, and
infilling of the Holy Spirit, we visualize death, burial and resurrection as we
after rigid compunction, ought to bury our sins, receive forgiveness, and
become a new person.

In John 13:1, “Before the feast of the Passover, Jesus
knew that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father. He loved his
own in the world and he loved them to the end.” If we put this in the context
of dying, he by giving his life loves in perfect dimension even he knew that he
was to be sacrificed and would be assimilated to be like a lamb in slaughter.
He accepts being in paroxysm lured whipped and tortured by the Jews whom he considers
his friends.

Christ died for us that we may obtain salvation and no one
can equal the sacrifice he offers being compelled to accede to the will of his
Father. Salvation through the death of the Son of God is the deliverance
offered to us by God himself. In 1 John 3:16, the following was asserted, “The
way we came to know love was that He laid down his life for us; so we ought to
lay down our lives for our brothers.” Somehow God has this reminder for us in 1
John 3:17-18, “If someone who has worldly means sees a brother in need and
refuses him compassion, how can the love of God remain in him? Children, let us
love not in word or speech but in deed and truth.”

“Christ’s death and resurrection will be useless unless
persons will accept that gift where he offered his life two thousand years
ago,” says an eloquent priest who was invited speaker in a Charismatic prayer
meeting. He somehow disclosed that to him we repeatedly celebrate the Paschal
mystery of Christ because until now many of us believers cannot accept the gift
of salvation. I understand from his talk that, unless man in the moment desired
in his human life, with him gifted of affection, offers himself more so his
heart or life, by accepting the gift of God which is the death of Jesus for the
redemption of our sins as we men need to die from our sins that these may be
effaced, until now in haste man makes himself blind, dead, and mute. No wonder
crimes, distrust and cheating continue to accelerate. What Christian mind do we
have being coiled to our vices and attachments?

Death of Christ will continue to be ineffectual in purpose
if we will not accept the challenge to step out from our dark places as we are
confined to our own arrogance. Every time we bequeath from our houses and
desert prayer meeting places, we begin to see beggars, people present in
streets, and those who are in vehicles seemingly racing, old and young alike
for whom Christ died. We view in Television and listen to radios situational
that makes us believe that the love of man had waxed cold because he abandons
God who is his first love. Likewise, for Christ’s death to be effectual to us,
we should open our hearts, our hands to the gift of God who is Himself in the
form of the only begotten Son, Jesus Christ who is our Lord.

We should direct our selves to welcome changes in
attitudes and evaluate the kind of lives or say lifestyles that we have. We
should purge our own hardness of hearts and listen to the still small voice who
speaks in our inner selves with Him knowing well that we are loved as it is him
who loves his own in the world and these whom he loves are given to him by the
Father. We should embrace our parents and heed to their advices even if the
devil tempting speaks to us that we being in the young generation should be
boastful of our own choices.

We need to be humble enough to be subjected or are
compelled to submit that through correcting our vices, we can obtain
resurrection and be at home with our new selves.

- Jyotisman Nearu Upendra 

If we go back once more to the story of creation, we
carefully annotate that the air that is the ‘breath’ is the spirit of God. When
God created man on the sixth day, God breathe unto his (man’s) nostrils the air
that gives him life. It was life that was hovering over the face of the waters
and it was God from His breath that gives the air. Through the breath of God,
which is the “Spirit” referred to as “life”; Adam was shaped in human form
having flesh and bones, created according to the image and likeness of God.

The Word or the Latin word “Verbum” is the deliberation
proclaimed by the Spirit as God spoke and it took human form as it dwells in
the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Word cannot be made evident in flesh
without the Spirit. Likewise we can say that Jesus who is the Word was
manifested in human form through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Word who is Jesus was availed as the company of the
Father even from the beginning, to indicate well, it became apparent in the
episode of creation. John 1:1 however says, “In the beginning was the Word, and
the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” As we may continue further, in
John 1:2, “He was in the beginning with God.”

Jesus was authentic as God from the beginning and was
actualized as the Son of the Father with him being conceived in Mary through
the Holy Spirit. In the beginning while God contemplates, He derived from
within Himself an awareness that the Word was within Him empowering Him that He
is aware that in Him as a company deep in His heart was the begotten Son being
the Voice nurturing deep within Him who is spirit.

God somehow communicates to this inner Voice and regarded
him as the preconceived presence of an only begotten Son until somehow He took
it as a person more than an entity though prevailing as the Word with whom He
can share all His sentiments and even regarded the Word within Him as a friend,
even a companion entwined with His own spirit, the spirit Holy Ghost. The
companion which is the Word or ‘Logos’ was existing as part of the Father being
his own ‘blood’, and prevailed as one whom the Father can share His love to in
which the Son that existed from the beginning reciprocates also to the Father’s
love.

Somehow, the “Verbum” has never existed as a mere flow
back of thoughts or an inner longing. It was distinguishably a different
existence though emanating as part of God being One with Him. Likewise it can
never be denied that the Word gives love to the Father consoling him, making
God not alone in the beginning but with the Word keeping him company as they
are embraced by the love of the Holy Spirit who invigorates their sentiments to
each other.

If we take a gaze at the story of Shadrach, Meshach and
Abednego in the book of Daniel, even before Jesus was conceived in the womb of
Mary, he though a spirit took liberty to manifest in human form as a form of
theophany. Likewise this wasn’t a lone situation. The God in theophany wrestled
with Jacob and broke his thigh as this being who fought with Jacob was in the
form of an angel. God as another theophany spoke to Moses by the burning bush.

Thus, the Word that was with God from the beginning (John
1:1-2) did not remain an inner voice from the heart of the Father but somehow
in a way as evident in the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego as he took
liberty to accompany them and was also visible as human in form, was derived
and viewed as an existence apparent and intelligible not limited to a Vast Form
or a Voice. The Word that spoke to God turned visible and apparent to the
Father’s vision, with God being omnipresent or of unlimited existence. It
became in friendship with the Father subject to each other’s sentiments though
is one with Him, they having one spirit. Thus, the Father had been one with the
Son who shares his spirit and later was manifested in human form where the
Father indwelt in this body making God having both spirit and flesh (Malachi
2:15), 100% human and 100% Divine, with Jesus sharing Divinity with the Father,
as they empowered by the Holy Spirit make a Triune God or a Trinity.

At the time of the prophets and patriarchs, in the Yahwist
belief, God manifested as the Father. Likewise, in the New Testament, the Son
was introduced as one who acknowledges the Father, where after Jesus, the Holy
Spirit as comforter continued his mission as ‘He’ spoke in churches through
tongues, interpretations, prophecies, and enlightenment and insights.

Going back to the story of creation, the Father speaks as
if He is talking to someone. Being God, he can make it easy for Him to regard
Jesus as a reflection whom he could visibly see like through a mirror or a pond
even though they existed as one spirit having separate assertions. Somehow, the
begotten-ness of Jesus being the Son of the Father is eternal but Jesus
manifesting as a human born according to the Law, likewise conceived by Mary
through the Holy Spirit to fulfill the prophecy makes sonship in flesh having a
beginning as Jesus was born through Mary.

With the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit different
from each other though one in Deity or Divinity, baptismal then was a baptism
in the name of Jesus (Acts 2:38), him being God, but observing well that God is
in triune or a Trinity, the Church chooses somehow even from the beginning to
baptize in the name of Jesus in a Trinitarian Formula: “I baptize you in the
Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19) as
taught by Jesus himself. Thus the present Pope Benedict declares last March
2008 that Catholics should baptize in the Trinitarian Formula “I baptize you in
the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”, and that
baptism that has addition or with different paraphrasing from this formula by
Catholic priests are invalid. If you are baptized in Jesus name in the
Trinitarian Formula, you are called a Christian meaning a follower of Christ.

- Jyotisman Nearu Upendra 

Lazarus was brought to life by
Jesus with Martha having faith in Christ and in the resurrection of the dead.
Martha wasn’t somehow aware that Jesus would raise Lazarus to life right at
that moment and not in the resurrection of the dead somehow in the days ahead
eventually in the designated time mentioned in the scriptures which is in the
last days. Jesus obtained power from the Father for after weeping, he prayed
loudly to the Father and summoned Lazarus to come forth.

Jesus does his miracles in perfect timing and without haste. If we
may recall, he fasted for 40 days and 40 nights after he was baptized to be in
warfare before the Devil who tempted him three times. Far from the character of
Jesus, the Israelites on the other hand became impatient when Moses stayed for
40 days and 40 nights in

Mt.

Sinai

to receive the
commandments of God, that they decided to make a golden calf, which they would
worship.

Even facing temptation to be inhuman with the Devil saying, “I
will give you even all the wealth in the world if you would only bow down and
worship me,” Jesus did not crave for power. Likewise, he saw his mission as an
occasion to obey the will of the Father. In a different occurrence, we observe
that many influential people try to insinuate an episode that could help them
manipulate situations intensified by some famous scenes in the society or acts
displayed. But the gospel is clear about trying to subdue our human nature, and
God does his best to prevent us from acquiescing to temptation. Somehow, one
thing we can learn in this assertion is this: “We should not allow ourselves to
be exposed to temptations even the slightest temptation like what was occurring
in our thoughts.” One abdication to temptation can really destroy yourself even
your faith.

We should not allow temptation to overcome us. Likewise
considering this occasion that the Holy Spirit allowed Jesus to be tempted
three times, we also have to fast and pray to overcome eventual temptation. For
us to be clean vessels of Holy Ghost indwelling, we need to be empty not
necessarily of food, but of sins by confessing these to the priests.
Accordingly, to obtain clean water in the glass, we need to empty it of dirty
water and wash the glass for us to have a new pour of clean water. Referring to
ourselves, the grace of God makes us pure. Jesus knowing that he will be
tempted by the Devil, fasted. Though the Devil is wise, we must even be wiser
enough. Always think of God in the hour of temptation, where in this moment, we
must affirm to ourselves that God really protects us.

We must have the resistance to fight against temptation. Herein,
we have to exercise the moment of self-denial where we die to our sinfulness,
which we must confess our sins. We in this occurrence are reminded that
Christ’s wants us to get rid of temptations. Likewise, it is all right for us
to be tempted because through this occurring in our life, we are even
strengthened of our faith as temptations and trials are part of our lives.
Somehow in this occurrence, God as stated in the scriptures will never allow us
to be tempted beyond what our strength can bear that we may become triumphant
against temptation.

Prayer helps us to encounter God, as fasting otherwise symbolizes
self-denial, and giving alms makes us generous as we share love to others much
more to the beggars. In a relevant situation, happy is the man who fasts that
he may give some to the hungry. Gradual penance is the fidelity to our
vocation. In the season of Lent, we need to practice the acronym ASH:
Almsgiving, Self-denial, and Holiness. When temptation occurs, sometimes we
think only of our selves. We should instead look unto Jesus that gives us
salvation, and helps us turn away from temptation. We need also to give up if
possible everything that we may gain everything for God.

We need to give some to others that we may symbolically exercise
generosity before the eyes of God just like giving our part in our love
offering. We should simply be generous even with our forgiveness to those who
have offended us. Whosoever loves God but does not forgive his brother, whom he
sees, does not truly love God since God cannot be seen. We should not let the
sun go down with our anger remaining in us.

The only means for us to be forgiven is to surrender our sins to
God by unveiling this to the priest that he may give us the necessary
absolution, for as whomsoever sins Peter and somehow Abraham forgives, as same
as whomsoever sins, by hierarchy of the Church, the priests absolve, are
forgiven by God. Say to the Lord Jesus, “Lord, I repent, forgive me of my
sins,” as you also say to the priest, “Father, forgive me for I have sinned, my
last confession is…” Likewise we need to repent in order that we may be
forgiven of our sins and we should also comply our penance. In accordance with
this, if we want to be forgiven, we must also learn to forgive not only others
but our very selves since we get sick because of wrong sentiments.

Let us forgive one another especially ourselves for the
resentments and other ill feelings we harbor to other persons or to our selves.
This is required from us if we want to enter heaven. It is not necessary to get
back the love we are expecting for we must continue to love even unloved. If
one cheats us, we should not worsen the situation by being a traitor to them
and react negatively because of the words thrown to us. It is wrong to say, “I
love you in the event that you would love me.” This is a conditional love. We
should love even in the absence of money. To fail in this process is bribery.

We should affirm others that it is worthy to love them even if
they no longer love us. God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten
Son. Love is God, and God is love. Do not rejoice over the sufferings of
others. The love of God is perfect and eternal. We should even love more even
if we are hated, even if others become disloyal or worse a traitor to us for
love is sacrifice. We should love the Lord with all our heart, mind and soul,
and love others like we love ourselves.

“Conditional relationship is business,” says a Charismatic speaker
named Sis. Rose de Pedro. In that way we cannot taste real love. She asserts,
“We need freedom from arrogance and we should eat up our pride for us to give
love to others even to those whose hearts were hardened.” We should continue to
love even though how heavy we receive pain from others.

-Jyotisman Nearu Upendra

Some Christians are committing great sins that take them
away from the true Church which preach about the sufficiently apparent good. In
some ordeal, the doctrine appears satisfying but in the long run destroys our
life as to some of the Protestants, the chance to unburden our problems is
withheld since they don’t believe in confession unlike the Catholics, hence by
confessing, one may be relieved of psychosomatic disease where enduring this,
it takes place eventually that the illness of the mind is transformed to an
ailment of the body.

Repressing the chance to obtain absolution and purifying
when one confesses make one a liar with him confining to himself the evil he
had done blocking the very opportunity to be honest than to act appeasing his
mind as to put it to rest by erasing the guilt, and obtaining not only
forgiveness but one’s very own salvation.

Since
to others, it is all right to sin even if hiding his sins in the absence of
confession hardens one, it supports that we justify what we commit. In the
temptation of Jesus, the first one is the temptation to eat bread, second is
the asking for a sign, and third is the possession of power. In this case
according to St. Thomas Aquinas, virtue stands in the middle. The defect lies
in one having the excess of wealth and others, that one may be tempted as he
may exclude himself from the nature of being human formed for the glory of God
though weak and frail, and be inhuman or turn himself a beast in his words and
actions, even in disposition. In this case, one even justifies his incapacity
to renounce temptation.

A
hungry person would do everything in exchange for the food that he may eat and
may fill his belly, especially the last piece of bread that may suffice his
hunger. In the case of the journey of the Israelites into the desert, the
Israelites complained to God of what food to eat, unlike Jesus that he did not
complain and instead became like a lamb in the slaughter opening not his mouth
but submits to his destiny to die in the cross, same with the lamb silent while
being wounded in the neck.

By
filling our hunger, we are replenished of our physical nourishment, but to
Jesus, to him, he has food to eat that the disciples knew not. He has the following
adjoining utterance to say, “Man does not live by bread alone that he may eat
of it, but he lives in every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Obsession
is itself gluttony that you are attached to material things than what can
nourish your spiritual self or your soul and spirit, and not only your very own
body.

Aside
from the bread, which serves as food, it is a common failure of insight to
think that man can be happy if he has many possessions, or if one maintains and
keeps to himself his riches, not thinking that one problem of health concern
can destroy his life which is all that he is concerned of. Here enters a big
reality that we must face that we must heed God and feel our need of Him, and
it is all Him that we can have for our recourse to save our life more than all
those other petty concerns.

“Sudo
Dios pasta,” a Latin word which means, “We only need God, only God,” opens an
aperture to the grand abyss of insights and inspirations usually supplied to us
by the Holy Spirit infilling or in dwelling. In the second temptation, the
Devil asked Jesus to throw himself (Jesus) down from the parapet of the temple
where he and the Devil are standing, with an added allurement that if Jesus
will succumb to temptation, according to the Devil with him quoting from the
word of God, his (Jesus’) angels will catch him and that not even the sole of
the feet of Jesus will be hurt grinded in the stones. This is the asking for a
sign that angels will rescue or take recourse. Likewise Jesus replied, “Do not put
God into the test,” with the word “God” referring to himself or his spiritual
being, the spirit Holy Ghost which is the spirit of him and the Father, as they
share one spirit (Isaiah 11:2; Malachi 2:15).

The
Devil will really lure Jesus in the event that he gives in to the Devil’s
temptation just like some of us deprived of a descent occupation as we can’t
find job, or has sickness that could no longer be healed, unlike others that
they can eat what they want even to their gluttony and is uncaring of other’s
welfare. Being attacked by the Devil, we should open our mind in order to stand
still and reach out for God’s hands and come to him that being once blind we
may be able to see and see in abundance the flood of insights and believe that
Jesus is our healer.

That
is all you should care for; that healing takes place if we believe in God. We
all have God and our chance to be healed for God can do great miracles, even to
the most depressing of all illness, as with oil we are anointed symbolizing oil
as the Holy Ghost that burns possessed in our hearts. You don’t own the Holy
Ghost if you will not recognize His power, in the same way that we acknowledge
the power of God in our lives. To the woman bleeding for years, this is what
Jesus said, “Woman, it is your faith that heals you.” To Jairus, he said, “Just
have faith.” In accordance with this, Jairus’ daughter was brought to life.

Jesus
regarded to himself as God as he says, “Do not put God into the test,’ speaking
blatantly to Satan. Jesus is God that can make us whole. Let us pray to Jesus
for healing.

-Jyotisman Nearu Upendra.