Miracles

Miracles happen, I know because I have witnessed quite a few. And I have always been amazed at how it manifests right before our eyes and yet we seem not to always notice them (or we just refuse to accept them). I have learned to appreciate all the little things that I used to take for granted ever since I have been aware of this fact. Believe it or not, miracles happen all around us even if we fail to acknowledge them. 

We sometimes equate miracles to extravagant occurrences instead of the mere experience of real joy in our hearts. I, too, used to define miracles like that, something very rare and unusual. But I know now that simple things that bring a surge of happiness and enlightenment, not only that of bringing back the dead to life, are such transformations of miraculous proportions. When I realized that miracles transpire within everybody’s reach, I was excited to grab the chance to live through miracles at each step that I make.

During the days that I am spared of my usual stress and worries or when I am able to receive a better attitude towards life, in general, I consider it as miracle blessings of which I am so grateful for. I now realize that I am already a millionaire just by being healthy and having the full use of all my physical and mental faculties. In some days when I am visited by the gratefulness bug, I take pleasure in knowing that I am blessed in my relationship with my family and friends. Still there are times when I fail to acknowledge the miracle of relationships that I am given to cherish within the passing times. 

I am very thankful for people who accept and love me for the imperfect, infallible person that I am (definitely a miracle!). 

I am not blind anymore to the beauty that surrounds me. I am no longer ignorant to the fact that I am capable of claiming and experiencing miracles fully, if I open my heart and embrace all the things that seem trivial. 



We are each given days to live, love, learn, correct mistakes, make amends, dream and be of worth. So, let us not waste… let’s seize the day and take hold of miracles!

(",)

THE FILIPINO CATHOLICS (By Steve Ray)

[Here's something very positive written by Steve Ray, about Filipino Catholics. Incidentally, he authored many best-selling books, among which are, Crossing The Tiber (his conversion story), Upon This Rock (on the papacy), and just recently John's Gospel (a comprehensive bible study guide and commentary).]

We stepped into the church and it was old and a bit dark. Mass had just begun and we sat toward the front.. We didn't know what to expect here in Istanbul, Turkey. I guess we expected it to be a sombre Mass but quiet and sombre it was not - I thought I heard angels joyously singing behind me. The voices were rich, melodic and beautiful. What I discovered as I spun around to look did not surprise me because I had seen and heard the same thing in other churches around the world. It was not a choir of angels with feathered wings and halos but a group of delightful Filipino Catholics with smiles of delight and joy on their faces as they worshiped God and sang His praises. I had seen this many times before in Rome , in Israel ,in the United States and other countries.

Filipinos have special traits and they are beautifully expressed as I gazed at the happy throng giving thanks to God. What are the special traits which characterize these happy people? I will share a few that I have noticed- personal observations- as I have travelled around the world, including visits to the Philippines.

FIRST, there is a sense of community, of family. These Filipino Christians did not sit apart from each other in different isles. They sat together, closely. They didn't just sing quietly, mumbling, or simply mouthing the words. No, they raised their voices in harmony together as though they enjoyed the sense of unity and communion among them. They are family even if they are not related.

SECOND, they have an inner peace and joy which is rare in the world today. When most of the world's citizens are worried and fretful, I have found Filipinos to have joy and peace - a deep sense of God's love that over shadows them. They have problems too, and many in the Philippines have less material goods than others in the world, yet there is still a sense of happy trust in God and love of neighbor.

THIRD, there is a love for God and for his Son Jesus that is almost synonymous with the word Filipino. There is also something that Filipinos are famous for around the world - their love for the Blessed Mother. Among the many Filipinos I have met, the affectionate title for Mary I always hear from their lips is "Mama Mary." For these gentle folks Mary is not just a theological idea, a historical person, or a statue in a church - Mary is the mother of their Lord and their mother as well, their "mama."

The Philippines is a Catholic nation-the only such nation in Asia -and this wonderful country exports missionaries around the world. They are not hired to be missionaries, not official workers of the church. No, they are workers and educators, doctors, nurses and housekeepers that go to other lands and travel to the far reaches of the earth, and everywhere they go they take the joyous gospel of Jesus with them. They make a sombre Mass joyful when they burst into song. They convict the pagan of sin as they always keep the love of Jesus and the Eucharist central in their lives.

My hope and prayer, while I am here in the Philippines sharing my conversion story from Baptist Protestant to Roman Catholic, is that the Filipino people will continue to keep these precious qualities. I pray that they will continue loving their families, loving the Catholic Church, reading the Bible, loving Jesus, His Mother and the Eucharist. As many other religions and sects try to persuade them to leave the Church, may God give the wisdom to defend the Catholic faith. As the world tempts them to sin and seek only money and fame and power, may God grant them the serenity to always remember that obedience to Christ and love for God is far more important than all the riches the world can offer. May the wonderful Filipino people continue to be a light of the Gospel to the whole world! 

Be a proud Filipino!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

(",)

Why Do We Shout When We're Angry?

I received another very meaningful story, one that is of value only when shared... An interesting answer to a question that would only cross your mind when you are observing people in a heated argument. Why do we tend to shout at people when we feel anger in our hearts?

 

A saint asked his disciples, 'Why do we shout in anger? Why do people shout at each other when they are upset?'  Disciples thought for a while, one of them said, 'Because we lose our calm, we shout for that.'  'But, why to shout when the other person is just next to you?' asked the saint. 'Isn't it possible to speak to him or her with a soft voice? Why do you shout at a person when you're angry?'  Disciples gave some other answers but none satisfied the saint.  Finally he explained, 'When two people are angry at each other, their hearts distance a lot. To cover that distance they must shout to be able to hear each other. The angrier they are, the stronger they will have to shout to hear each other through that great distance.'  Then the saint asked, 'What happens when two people fall in love? They don't shout at each other but talk softly, why? Because their hearts are very close and the distance between them is very small...' The saint continued, 'When they love each other even more, what happens? They do not speak, only whisper and they get even closer to each other in their love. Finally they even need not whisper, they only look at each other and that's all. That is how close two people are when they love each other.'

Moral of the Story:  When you argue do not let your hearts get distant, do not say words that distance each other more, else there will come a day when the distance is so great that you will not find the path to return.

Anyway (The Paradoxical Commandments)

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered... Love them anyway. 

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives... Do good anyway. 

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies... Succeed anyway. 

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow... Do good anyway. 

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable... Be honest and frank anyway. 

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds... Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs... Fight for a few underdogs anyway. 

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight... Build anyway. 

People really need help but may attack you if do help them... Help people anyway. 

Give the world you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth... Give the world the best you have anyway.

by: Kent M. Keith