Show It Or Cover
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SHOW IT OR COVER IT? …which is the way to the dwelling place of light, and 1 where is the abode of darkness… – Job 38:19 FRIDAY OCTOBER One day, I went to Mass, looked at the altar, and smiled. The priest was as bald as my son’s Job 38:1, 12-21; 40:3-5 marbles. Next to him was his sacristan. He, Psalm 139:1-3, 7-8, too, was bald but you won’t notice because 9-10, 13-14ab Luke 10:13-16 he wore a toupee. I whispered to my wife, “In front of you is a vision of my future. What do you want — option A or option B? Option A is show it off in all its glorious splendor. Or option B: cover it up.” She giggled and slapped me. “Shhh! Attend Mass!” But I really was attending Mass. The Eucharist is the center of our faith — but when you think about it, it’s a celebration of the greatest defeat — Jesus hanging dead on a REFLECTION: cross. Our faith doesn’t hide our blackest spot. Are you still trying Instead, it throws a party. to hide something? Life is always a choice between exposing Celebrate it and open yourself to our weakness or covering it up, going into healing. the light or remaining in darkness. And only those who have accepted their own humanness Lord, grant me the can expose it to others. People who haven’t courage to accept my woundedness, accepted their brokenness will always cover it to be open about it, up. so that Your healing It is only when you celebrate your limits power can take place and expose your brokenness do you also open in me. yourself to your own healing. The choice is yours. Bo Sanchez ([email protected]) St. Ralph Crockett, pray for us. LIKE CAIRO “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. 2 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest SATURDAY in the kingdom of heaven.” – Matthew 18:3-4 OCTOBER Memorial of the Guardian Angels His name is Cairo. He was a six-year-old who played the role of Joseph’s son in the Exodus 23:20-23 Trumpets Production Joseph the Dreamer in (Job 42:1-3, 5-6, 12-17) 2006 at Megamall. Psalm 91:1-2, 3-4ab, Once, I asked Cairo for a massage. My 4c-6, 10-11 (or co-cast members were joshing me that I should Psalm 119:66, 71, 75, 91, 125, 130) pay him for it. Then my friend pulled out a P100 Matthew 18:1-5, bill from my wallet. However, I was hesitant 10 (or Luke 10:17- 24 ) to give it to Cairo because I wasn’t sure if his parents would approve. So I said, “No. Cairo loves me. I don’t need to pay him.” Later on, I saw him looking and playing with a P100. My friend pulled it out of my wallet and gave it to him. Or so I thought. I asked Cairo if he got the P100 from my friend. But before he could answer me, I seized it from him. Upon putting it in my wallet, I saw my P100 still there. I asked REFLECTIONS: What childlike Cairo, “Where did your P100 come from?” qualities have you He answered, “My dad gave it to me this lost and wish to morning.” Oops. “Why didn’t you tell me?” I regain? asked him. His answer floored me: “I thought Lord, make me like a you needed it.” child today. Sigh… to be like a child, indeed. God, make me like Cairo. George Tolentino Gabriel St. Theophilus, pray for us. ([email protected]) MUstarD SEED faith “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to (this) mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in 3 the sea,’ and it would obey you.” – Luke 17:6 SUNDAY OCTOBER Gloria cried when her American doctor-fiancé Habakkuk 1:2-3; 2:2-4 returned to the States after finishing his Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, studies in the Philippines. But he promised 8-9 (8) her that as soon as he lands, he’d file his 2 Timothy 1:6-8, 13-14 petition to claim her and her six-year-old son Luke 17:5-10 by another man. Months passed without a word from John. Gloria didn’t stop praying. Six months later, she received a call from the US embassy informing her that the petition for her and her son was approved. All she had to do was to report to their office and sign some papers. Fifteen years into her married life with John, and having a 14-year-old daughter with REFLECTION: him, I visited her in her beautiful home in Is there California. Very honestly, she spoke of the something in your doubts she had that time when John left her, but life right now that’s after a while, she corrected herself and declared calling you to a deeper faith? that God had given her John, so that she may live a new life with him and their children. Lord, help me to Gloria shared how life for her was a trust that You are at constant day-to-day bliss since the time she work in every area of my life, even if I left the Philippines to the present. Her husband sometimes don’t see loves her and her two children, providing for Your hands. them well. She couldn’t ask for more. Gloria had faith as big as a mustard seed. St. Widradus, pray for us. Chelle Crisanto ([email protected]) I KNOW THE FEELING! “But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him was 4 moved with compassion at the sight.” – Luke 10:33 MONDAY OCTOBER Why was it that it was the Samaritan who cared for the half-dead man and not the so- Galatians 1:6-12 called religious people? The storyteller in Psalm 111:1b-2, 7-8, me has a strong hunch: Only the Samaritan 9, 10c Luke 10:25-37 “knows the feeling.” The Samaritans are the Jewish enemy and object of scorn. Ignoring a Samaritan is the “most merciful” thing a Jew could do to him or her. A Samaritan “knows the feeling” of being ignored. When the Samaritan saw the beaten-up man, passing by on the other side was not an option. He knew this pain to be as agonizing as, or maybe even worse than, REFLECTION: the deep gashes and the gaping wounds. He Do I know someone cared because he felt it. who has the same hurt now as I had Who do you think can care for the drug in the past (or as addicts better than former drug addicts? I currently have)? Who can reach out to rape victims more than How can I reach out abused people? Who can connect with cancer to this person? patients better than cancer survivors? Who Lord, I’ve been hurt. can minister to someone who lost a loved one Rather than lurking better than those who have been there? in the pits of self-pity, give me the strength God never wastes a hurt. This can make to use this hurt to you “know the feeling,” then lead you to reach feel for others and out to others. Jon Escoto ([email protected]) reach out to them. St. Domnina, pray for us. WORSHIPING HEART, SERVING HANDS “There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the 5 better part and it will not be taken from her.” TUESDAY OCTOBER – Luke 10:42 Galatians 1:13-24 Psalm 139:1b-3, I was drawn to attend the prayer meetings 13-14ab, 14c-15 because of worship. There was never a worship Luke 10:38-42 session that I was not moved to tears. Things changed when I was assigned a ministry. I was so “faithful” to every task assigned and was “promoted” from physical arrangement to music ministry to worship leader and was “prophesied” to preach. Very subtly, my desire for worship was diverted into an “addiction” to ministry. Late did I realize that I was then loving the service of the Lord and no longer the Lord of the service. Author Rick Warren was right when he said that ministers start out as servants REFLECTION: and end up as superstars. I learned this the Am I loving the Lord hard way. I repented and availed anew of of the service or God’s grace. He brought back my first love: merely the service of the Lord? worshiping God in wild abandon! I learned that authentic ministry is only a fruit of spirit- One thing I ask for, deep worship. Hence, my secret of sustained one thing I seek, to spiritual balance and growth: a worshiping dwell in the house of the Lord and gaze heart and serving hands. on His beauty all the This must be your better choice. It days of my life! will not be taken away from you. Obet Cabrillas ([email protected]) St. Flavia, pray for us. WHERE HE LEADS I went up in accord with revelation and I presented to them the Gospel that I preach to Gentiles... so that I 6 might not be running... – Galatians 2:2 WEDNESDAY OCTOBER There are many things I wouldn’t have done Galatians 2:1-2, 7-14 in my life if the Lord had not told me to do Psalm 117:1bc, 2 so.