The Way of Happiness

 When Jesus saw the crowd, he taught them with these words: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people persecute you and tell evil lies about you for being my followers. Rejoice and be glad for your reward is great in heaven! The prophets who went before you were persecuted in the same way." (Matthew 3: 5-13)

Let me begin this blog by giving you an alarming fact. According to World Health Organization suicide is the leading cause of death among those aged 15- 24. Nearly a million commit suicide each year more than to those murdered or killed in war. Worldwide, a suicide is completed every 40 seconds. Most of the reasons are financial difficulties, relationship problems, drug abuse and severe depression. Global annual teenage suicide statistics, reported for these fatalities could rise to 1.5 million by 2020.

Most notes and letters indicate that those who committed suicide doesn't see any reason for them to live. They feel uselessness and despair in the emptiness of their lives. They feel happiness is already out of reach and the sole choice for them is to die.

In the Gospel, Jesus proclaims how wonderful life is. He began his ministry by allowing the people to see the beauty of life when they become his disciples. True happiness according to Christ is different from the way the world sees it. Happiness according to Christ is not for the rich, the famous and powerful nor for the scribes and Pharisees at that time who feel their close relationship to God based on obeying the Law.  Instead,  Jesus calls as blessed those who are poor who relied solely on God for help and to those who obtained the attitude of  the true children of God.

This Gospel is also read on All Saint's Day since these words of  Jesus clearly describe how saints and the  heroes of our faith lived. They were ordinary citizens, some of them were obscure and become famous only after their death. Some of them haven't done what the world considers as great deeds. They simply lived according to their duties and achieved happiness in this life and in life after.  There is no saint reported who felt despair nor has any complains about life. They understand pain, sorrow and problems but they see the beautiful side of  them. Some of them may not have intelligence like the philosophers or theologians but they gain wisdom by their simple attitude like an evangelical child.

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Jesus proclaims as blessed those who accept that they are nothing without God's grace. They are the persons devoid of pride--- those who rely solely in their own thinking and abilities. Jesus says that unless we become humble, we hinder God's grace to work in us. For example, the person who believes that he knows a lot and begins to belittle persons around him. He doesn't open himself to new ideas and lessons that he can learn from other people. Having the feeling of "richness in spirit", he has the attitude of a Pharisee in the Gospel of  Luke (18:9-14). He feels superior in the eyes of God and despises everyone else. But in the end, God favors more the persons he despises than him. He that is humble allows God's richness to supply him and thus lead him to true conversion which then leads to the reign of God in his life.

"Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted." Jesus does not call as blessed those who mourn because of despair, rather those who mourn because of their misery and sins. They also mourn for the misery of others. These "mourning" leads them to ask God for forgiveness and rely on God to help him change his life, as well as the life of others.


"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." The meek is actually one of the attitude of an evangelical child. (If you have read my second post "Unless You Acquire the Heart of a Child..."). The meek is happy even in the face of difficulties and hardships. It is because he feels that everything he has is owned by God. So, he believes that even if something happens in his work, studies, money or relationships, it is always for the better. He relies on God's will in his life thus he obtains peace.

 "Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." Those who have a deep desire for holiness are the only ones who will obtain it. It is true for all virtues. We often say that we want to be an example to our friends at work or school but oftentimes, we do not have that great desire to change our ways that is why we do not become what we wish to be. Jesus describes it as "hunger and thirst" meaning, it must be our continuous desire as if we cannot live without doing what is right. It must be our ultimate goal in life. St. Paul also clearly states it: "Work out your salvation with fear and trembling." (Philippians 2:12)


"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." This was also taught by Christ in the Lord's Prayer: "Forgive as our sins as we forgive those who sins against us." It also refers in how should we treat our brothers and sisters especially those who need help whether materially or spiritually. Since we feel the love of God as we also love the people he loves. And it is whether they are related to us or not, whether they are our friends or enemies.


"Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God." I remember the story of an elementary student in a Values Education class. They were asked to draw in a sheet of paper a description of their life in the present. Then, they will explain their drawings in front. The student then went in front of the class holding a blank sheet of paper. The teacher was angry since the student haven't done anything. But the student replied, "I am like this sheet of paper, malinis ang pagkatao." We obtain happiness if we have hearts pure of any evil and selfish desires. Because the Holy Spirit, the Cause of our Joy doesn't dwell in the hearts who desire riches, honor and fame to the expense of others.


"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God." Living a peaceful life, they share it to others. Peace doesn't mean the mere absence of conflicts and war, rather, it is a life of order, unity and friendship. They are the persons who spread God's message to others by their example and through words if necessary. Thus they imitate God who creates friendship between man and Himself. They are rightly be called his children.


"Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Being a follower of Christ doesn't always guarantee an instant happiness. It also entails difficulties. St. Teresa of  Avila said that Jesus has only few friends since it entails being nailed to the cross like him. We might hear false accusations or bad words as we follow and serve Christ. Sometimes it may even be from our families or the persons we love. But Jesus assures us that we will be rewarded the kingdom of heaven! That means God reigns in us and we are happy after all.


Jesus shows us the way to happiness. It is not elusive. It is in the attitude that we have towards God, towards others and towards life. The Beatitudes that Christ proclaims leads us to genuine freedom, knowledge of our worth, loving relationships with others and the sense of meaning in life. It is true happiness, not just a passing pleasure, but the joy giving us faith and hope in this life as we await the Perfect Happiness which is far more than we can ever imagine. "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him!" (1 Corinthians 2:9)

God Directs Me to Where He Calls Me

When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee. Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”  (Matthew 4:12-17)

When Jesus was thirty, he left Mary his mother and the carpenter's shop in order to fulfill the mission entrusted to him by his Father. I imagine it may be hard for him to leave his family and hometown and go to a far and unfamiliar place. I remembered when I first go to Metro Manila in search for work. Although I have relatives and friends here, it is difficult at first to familiarize with the place, with its people and culture. I think that must be what Jesus felt. Jesus had never been in Capernaum before.  He left his small town to settle in a commercial town in order to begin his public ministry. 


Why did Jesus began his ministry in Capernaum? Being a town of fishermen and merchants, hence a commercial town, it must have a lot of people who will listen and follow him. Later,  he will meet there his first disciples including Andrew and his brother Simon Peter. I reflected my life in parallel to Jesus'.  I am actually wondering why I am working as a technical support representative for an internet service provider when I am not too technical! As I see, God's hand is at work. He directs me to where he calls me. It is not an accident where I worked or why I met the persons there. I believe, God wants me to be a model to my co-workers and to be a good friend to them.


It is not an accident why I was transferred to a new account by Human Resources Management due to a major offense.  I committed an invalid outbound call due to negligence to call them on time. It is when I was transferred in my new account that I met  Kuya Khing who introduced me into the Faith and Light Community here in Pasig. At that time, I missed serving the parish for about three years. I was a head sacristan in my hometown for  years.  But when I finished college and started to work, I missed belonging in a community. And in Faith and Light, I met some of my fellow youth who later, appointed me as a core group member of  the Parish Youth Council. I believe that it is not an accident as well why I serve in a parish far from my hometown. God wants me to meet a lot of people whom I can share my life with and to be an instrument of inspiration to them. God wants me to share what i have learned in my own parish and in my Religious Education by performing my role as a Worship and Liturgy team head. Here I learned to develop my leadership and management skills. And before I am shy and reserved but here I learned how to build healthy relationships with others. In this parish, I felt the revival of my commitment to serve God  especially in my fellow youth. It is God who uses certain circumstances in my life in order for me to see, to understand and to fulfill my calling.


The ministry of Jesus began with success--- many followed him and believed in him, many came to him to listen to his word and to be healed from their illnesses. He began his preaching by proclaiming the coming of the reign of God in this world and the forgiveness of sins. It is because he doesn't just do the will of his Father, he hungers for it as a food that nourishes him (John 4:34). If we do the will of God, everything will be successful. We will fail if we do not fulfill what he wills from us. In my job, I got markdowns and low score from a Quality Assurance Specialist if I am not doing what is asked of me. In the same way, if we are not faithful to God's call and we continue to rely on our personal desires, we will not experience true success in life. 


As you sleep and as you wake up, I invite you to pray that God in his infinite wisdom may lead you to the knowledge and understanding of his will for your life. Pray for the courage to do his will although it far surpasses our way of thinking. Pray also to Mary our Mother that we may obtain the light of Christ that you may be faithful in doing God's will at all cost and at all times like her. 

Live according to God's gift to you and to where God has called you. (1 Cor 7:17) Because in him alone is our hope, our strength, are we justified and saved!

Unless You Acquire the Heart of a Child....

Jesus called a little child and had him stand among them and said, "Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:2-4)

St. Therese of the Child Jesus is one of my favorite saints. I admire her since i read the book, 'Story of a Soul' which is a compilation of her writings while inside the Carmelite convent. Her manuscripts which were written for the superiors and other members of their community indicate her extraordinary sanctity. She achieved 'perfection' because of her attitude of a little child who knows she is little and full of confidence puts herself in her Father's arms. She haven't done things usually associated with greatness. She did not go to mission lands and proclaim the Gospel but she was named as Patroness of the Missions. It is because she lives as an example to the community on how to be an evangelical child of God while she offered ordinary works like sweeping, laundry washing and praying for the intention of the missions.

The life of St. Therese reflects what Christ asks us to live as his disciples. Jesus wants us to be children--- helpless, poor and weak but trusts in God's fatherly love and mercy--- contradictory to the scribes' and Pharisees' attitude of obeying the law to gain favor with God.  Jesus teaches us that we cannot be justified by merely obeying the Ten Commandments. We cannot be saved by simply by praying rosaries and novenas nor going to mass. Salvation is a free gift, not a merit.  And in the gospels, the tax collectors and public sinners were the first ones to receive this gift, not the righteous scribes and Pharisees.

In this Sunday's gospel, the disciples actually has the childish attitude of the scribes and Pharisees.  They think of themselves as more important than others just because they are Christ's followers. But Jesus clearly states that it is only by acquiring the heart of a child can they obtain God's kingdom.  I have reflected that these are the virtues of what Jesus calls as childlike.

The evangelical child is humble and gets rid of false illusions to himself. As we notice, the more we draw near to God, we see more and more of our weaknesses and sins. For example, in the midst of our service to God, we may feel ourselves incapable of forgiving others who hurt us or to be strong in the midst of our family problems. God doesn't will our pain and sufferings but allows them to happen in order for us to avoid creating false images of ourselves to be strong and capable of anything. "But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him" (1 Corinthians 1:27-19)  God invites us to  trust him who alone is the source of our greatness and wisdom. "For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not"(1 Corinthians 4:7)

Christ invites us to reject the Pharisaical attitude of thinking ourselves as holy while we despise others whom we think commits greater sins than ours.  We must also note that Christ does not justify sins nor extol human weaknesses but he simply allows us to remain in the truth because it is only when we become aware of our weaknesses and sinfulness can we rely on God's love and mercy.

The evangelical child awaits everything from God.  Simply  acknowledging our own weaknesses without trust in God's grace will lead us to sadness and despair. That is the sin of Judas--- he feels sorry for his sin but he abandoned God who loves him in spite of  the wrong he had done.  God desires for us to abandon ourselves to him in spite of our falls knowing that God loves us even more than before our fall. This however should not an excuse for us to remain sinning but instead, the love of God allows us to avoid falling again into sin.

The evangelical child doesn't rely on other things--- the love of God is enough.  The man who relies on his intelligence, wealth, career, and even relationships shows not fully abandoning in God's love.  There is nothing wrong with these things as long as it doesn't create in us a feeling of worth and security which can be found in God alone.  They are merely God's gifts so we must allow his will to work in them.  For example,  a thesis is a fruit of God's grace at work in our intellect and hard work.  But, to rely on our thesis in order to finish a degree or to have a higher status in others' eyes eyes is futile.  What if the thesis is thrown into a garbage bin or burned and no one will read it even though it may contain a valuable and interesting material?  An evangelical child sees this thesis as a gift from God and he entrusts it to his will. So, whether the thesis be destroyed or be read and be given a good grade, he knows that God loves him and no matter what happens to his thesis, it will be for the better.

The evangelical child loves community.   A child cannot live alone but depends on others to take care of him and he needs others to play with. He sees everyone as equal --- no rich or poor, no old or young, no one is better than the others.  Jesus wants us to be an active part of his community, the Church.  Like the child, we depend on others to survive in our spiritual life.

The Child Jesus, our beloved Bambino is our greatest model in becoming an evangelical child.  His total submission and faith in the Father's love for  him comes with a price--- death on the cross. But his example has brought as salvation. "Therefore God has exalted him and bestowed on him the name above other names." (Philippians 2:9)

Let me end this by sharing one of my favorite songs 'You Fill My Heart' which is based on the words of St. Therese. Happy Bambino Fiesta to all!!!

Welcome to PYC Online Evangelization

“Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:19-20).

I am glad that God through His work in man's intelligence has co-created this blog used by Immaculate Concetion Cathedral Parish Youth Council of Pasig City as they heed the Great Commission of Christ. The apostles before went out, walked miles and sailed seas just to make Christ known to the pagans and the whole world. But I think that if they are here in our time, perhaps they will use this blog as a form of evangelization especially to the young, to the young at heart and to the "young once".

So, welcome to our blog! Read and reflect and you can comment and share. Everyone is welcome. Suggestions for improvement are highly appreciated. Be evangelized here although it may just be a little tool of the workings of the Spirit. And it doesnt end there, we must tell what I or others have shared on this blog to our family, classmates, workmates and other community members through word AND example. This is how they know we are His servants.

God bless us all.