Yeah, this week another plane crashed in Congo. this time it was in Goma. around 40 people died and more than 100 seriously injured. others lost their homes and businesses that were burned. this is disgusting. sometimes i wonder why we have governments if all they do is just enjoy their offices. for this is yet another sign that they don't care about the people. i was in kin and bkv last summer. i saw with my eyes the conditions of these planes. they should not be authorized to fly. But, hewa bora is the company of Kabila! the investigation promised by the government is just a trick to distract the people.
Truly, it is time that the congolese people rise start demanding answers from kabila and his team.
Meanwhile, we pray for the victims that they find rest in God. we pray also for solidarity with those injured. This is just what Goma did not need, considering its struggles with the volcano eruption some years ago, and the threat of Nkunda's militias in its surroundings. ultimately we pray that God sends the Spirit into congolese people, Spirit of courage, perseverance, and boldness.
Monday, April 21, 2008
WHY FOLLOW?
Lately, I have been meditating on my motivations to continue following Jesus, the motivations that got me into religious life, in the first place. I am really conviced that Jesus never discourage anyone from following him. Never. He wants more followers. So if we talk about Jesus purifying our motivations, that means, I believe, that Jesus, when he calls me, he bids me to open my heart to God's dream for humanity. Jesus actually expands, extends, enlarges my heart, my vision, my ambition to God's dimensions. By saying "yes" to Jesus I let he open my heart to embrace the world and beyond. As a good vine grower, he prunes the vine so that it may expands, flourish and bear greater fruit. because one who believes in Jesus will do greater works than those Jesus did. Thus, a grain needs to die so as to give life to a bigger tree and more fruits. I have come to believe that the cross is a necessary passage from "me for me" to "me for others." Jesus does not take nothing from me when he calls me, rather he gives me the world according to God's dimensions and God's vision. My eyes cannot see far enough. Jesus gives me the Spirit, God's binoculars, through which I can see the world the way God sees it. Jesus tells me that the sea is ready for the catch, an abundant catch of fish, if only I would follow and be faithful. I think the fear of people today about following Jesus or giving their lives for Jesus is due to the fact that Jesus demands all as he gives all. we are afraid because we think we not worthy of the greatness and abundance that God reveals to us. Jesus calls us because he knows what is in store us. Jesus calls for the highest glory possible, God's glory: AD MAJOREM DEI GLORIAM. Jesus demands all because he gives all, namely the Spirit of God. In Jesus we are given God, whose love has been outpoured into our hearts by the Spirit of courage and hope. It came to my mind that this is why I keep on following, because I want God and share in God's glory, spread God's glory in the world. Thus, I think, this life is for those who are ambitious, driven, those who will not settle for what their ego asks of them. God is the limit. Life broken and shared, is wellspring of hope. This is the everlasting life, the miracle that God operates in our life. So with Peter, we can exclaim, MASTER, TO WHOM SHALL WE GO? YOU HAVE THE WORDS OF ETERNAL LIFE. WE HAVE COME TO BELIEVE AND ARE CONVINCED THAT YOU ARE THE HOLY ONE OF GOD (John 6:68-69).
Monday, April 07, 2008
Burning from within
hello all.
It's been a long time since i posted anything on this blog. today i feel like sharing something. I hope i can keep it up.
i mediated today on the story of the two disciples to Emmaus. what really struck me in this account, is how the two disciples, after experiencing jesus in their midst, left Jerusalem, filled with sadness, looking downcast. they were sad because of lost hopes, shattered dreams. they thought jesus would be the One. they were still mourning over things lost in the fire. they were so sad that they could not notice the presence of the pilgrim beside them. But what the risen jesus was really amazing. he made them remember their story anew from a different perspective. he instilled fire in their hearts. he made them realize that like him, his disciples' lives MUST be taken, blessed, broken and given for all.
this year has been very different for me. since early in my vocation, i encountered sad disciples, missionaries, religious, priests, lay, you name it. people who grew sad and breathed sadness. they have grown bitter, because of lost hopes and shattered dreams. people who stayed because that was the only life they knew. don't be mistaken, i have also met a lot of people who were truly happy in their vocations. but since then, i vowed i would a different missionary. i decided not to breath in such sadness and bitterness, which are contegious. i decided i would be who i am, a paschal person, one filled with easter joy. well, lately, some of the happenings of this year have been taking a toll on me. i started filling that emmaus bitterness and sadness. i started remembering some the lost dreams and shattered hopes. and for lent, i chose as my lenten guiding theme, "ARISE FROM MY ASHES." when what i got from the emmaus story is that, i am not meant to be sad. i am made for joy. i realized that what i did consider lost dreams and shattered hopes were actually purified dreams and transformed hopes. i realized that my true and inner-outer joy was to offer my life to be taken, blessed, broken and shared. it is this ideal and experience of christ in my life that enkindled the fire in my heart. with these recent happenings, i realized that cold was invading my heart and bones. jesus is the fire shut up in my bones; jesus is the burning inside my heart. i need to keep my eyes fixed on him, and him alone. in jesus, actually, my deepest dreams and my profound hopes are fullfilled because they are blessed, broken and shared. this is now the source of joy for me, the paschal joy. to know that the love of christ in burning inside of me. i feel now like a furnace. ohohoh, is it just me, or it's really hot in here!
It's been a long time since i posted anything on this blog. today i feel like sharing something. I hope i can keep it up.
i mediated today on the story of the two disciples to Emmaus. what really struck me in this account, is how the two disciples, after experiencing jesus in their midst, left Jerusalem, filled with sadness, looking downcast. they were sad because of lost hopes, shattered dreams. they thought jesus would be the One. they were still mourning over things lost in the fire. they were so sad that they could not notice the presence of the pilgrim beside them. But what the risen jesus was really amazing. he made them remember their story anew from a different perspective. he instilled fire in their hearts. he made them realize that like him, his disciples' lives MUST be taken, blessed, broken and given for all.
this year has been very different for me. since early in my vocation, i encountered sad disciples, missionaries, religious, priests, lay, you name it. people who grew sad and breathed sadness. they have grown bitter, because of lost hopes and shattered dreams. people who stayed because that was the only life they knew. don't be mistaken, i have also met a lot of people who were truly happy in their vocations. but since then, i vowed i would a different missionary. i decided not to breath in such sadness and bitterness, which are contegious. i decided i would be who i am, a paschal person, one filled with easter joy. well, lately, some of the happenings of this year have been taking a toll on me. i started filling that emmaus bitterness and sadness. i started remembering some the lost dreams and shattered hopes. and for lent, i chose as my lenten guiding theme, "ARISE FROM MY ASHES." when what i got from the emmaus story is that, i am not meant to be sad. i am made for joy. i realized that what i did consider lost dreams and shattered hopes were actually purified dreams and transformed hopes. i realized that my true and inner-outer joy was to offer my life to be taken, blessed, broken and shared. it is this ideal and experience of christ in my life that enkindled the fire in my heart. with these recent happenings, i realized that cold was invading my heart and bones. jesus is the fire shut up in my bones; jesus is the burning inside my heart. i need to keep my eyes fixed on him, and him alone. in jesus, actually, my deepest dreams and my profound hopes are fullfilled because they are blessed, broken and shared. this is now the source of joy for me, the paschal joy. to know that the love of christ in burning inside of me. i feel now like a furnace. ohohoh, is it just me, or it's really hot in here!
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