Narrow Road

Ave Maria:-)

Have to write it na..might "lose it"  just came from emergency council mtg. ...what might have , could have ended up any of the following :disastrous, "off" , cold... weary/dreary... mechanical --- turned out and ended quite marvelously ..and hey,

 hapee as can be. That has got to be the Holy Spirit...hahaha , kasi pagod nAman kaming lahat who arrived, it wasn't even a quorum... good grief..it might not have even been the "right" persons who should have attended? --yet thru the years... the community has by God 's tender graces survived all discomfitures, all inadequacies, eccentricities, somps (sumpong.. you never know kung may bi polar sa grupo hahaha) , thru thick and thin ... We've coped and only becoz Someone watched from heaven -- you'd think bearing with threats from the outside is the biggest problem? --- oh no --- it's when we break ranks within...that's the bigger threat... pero ...  God is too good, too true He saves us anyway and grants us daily , daily ,daily minute by minute all the graces we will need. THAT IS AN IMPREGNABLE FACT. 

Before the meeting, managed to squeeze in a visit to poor Miko , down with dengue -- there was Aba, Josh , Berto and I -- consoling our brother -- who is quite a big fellow -- robust and strong and utterly cheerful ... but dengue is dengue and we saw him subdued but certainly not defeated. Attaboy , Miko.. Jesus loves you and will heal you...you'll come out stronger

Anniversaries have a way of putting us in instantaneous time warps .... tonite I was with Miko ,  with dear Aba spearheading the visit ... but decades ago ... will remember a departed brother, one of our founding elders, Bro. Hector Garong ... insisting that we go to his home so that we could pray over his twin daughters Melinna and Melissa , A and B for short -- they had egadsss:CHICKENPOX.... How young they were then, probably in high school ... and can't forget A who was rather disgusted that these complete strangers were in their bedroom...ready to pray over them and see then in all their chickenpox glory...hahahaha, bata pa vanidosa na... sanamagan  And now the twins decades later are moms themselves , with their beautiful children...B has two girls and a baby boy ...A has Nana and Inake. ..

You'll have to excuse my time warp... bear with me... it's just a way of expressing my happiness for all the good things God has done for this little group ..my extended family the Living Word.

Instant recall .... 

1) In the 80's... the Philippines and many parts of the world was so on fire with the charismatic movement... those were the years where prayer groups  mushroomed in both Catholic and Christian denominations. The speakers then were so fiery... so anointed by the Holy Spirit, will remember Bro. Joe Rona, Bro. Leny Ibarra, ... even priests ( Fr. De Grandis , Fr. Bertolucci, Fr. Polinar to name a few) and nuns too recieved a tremendous outpouring

 --- those were the times when a single man/woman  could start and finish a whole seminar -- without relying too much on back-up, support systems, sound system... or media stuff ... these men and women would just open their mouth and and preach and it was enough to move the hearts of people to the very core... enough to make a movement toward repentance and returning to Christ... They simply relied on the Holy Spirit...

They sure had no mental block with any promises Jesus made.. if Jesus promised "You will recieve power..!" They took Him at His word.Amen Hallelujah!

2) As we read the Book of Acts and contemplate the miracles and signs that the early church witnessed ... we must acknowledge as well what the Lord has given our community.  Sis. Dori and Mama Lydia with just a nephew Dodong Taba to drive for them thru highways and rough roads... they gave Life in the Spirit seminars , they were just a team of two ( two persistent matronas --  conducting the seminars in  many parishes in Pangasinan, this with the bishop's approval -- as you cannot just preach. They simply took turns, giving the talks ... there was no music ministry, only Mama playing the organ ... they were not the typical speakers you'd expect --- I think you'd only hear Mama's voice 12 times a year .... she was so reserved and shy .... well that was prior to her becoming a charismatic ... becoz after she recieved the Baptism in the Holy Spirit

she not only learned how to give talks ... nampeste pa..nang braso (cajoled, persuaded) others to themselves learn to give talks and bear witness for Christ. As for Mother Dori , this was a businesswoman... she definitely knew how to make a sale, how to close a deal...  but how to win hearts for Jesus was another thoroughly alien matter. Between the two of them, they initated so many outreaches..to Bilibid Prisons... to Leper's colony.... hospitals.

.. we must not forget this  because this is how our community was founded.It is a legacy worth continuing.

3) Each community will have its pronounced gifts - some exercise powerful healing gifts... others are called to teaching /formation .... Mother Teresa heard the Lord's call to reach out to the poorest of the poor.... we must rejoice and always be grateful for whatever gifts the Lord has bestowed and allowed to grow thru the years... We must take care never to stagnate.

4) T--I-R-E-D-N-E-S-S is a non- existent  word  in a Christian's dictionary... we will have the proverbial physical tiredness , but the tiredness of spirit (which is the real killer) ...that will never happen for as long as we let the love of JESUS penetrate our whole being. His love suffices and His love urges us on... even when we think we can no longer go on.Praise You Lord.

5)Last nite we sang for the nth time in a mass for the dead, again another member who has left this life --- in God's perfect time you and I will have our own turn being laid at the coffin. May it be that we lie down peacefully with a treasure of memories knowing, loving and serving JESUS. .. my beloved...true love requires obedience.. love grows an obedient heart, please understand this - that our hearts will naturally conform to the wishes of Christ Jesus, amen.

You and I are given a choice of the road we want to take ... remember .. the narrow road that leads to salvation ?

The choices we make can spell our future  happiness or misery...  If we have found ourself a bit unhappy..unfulfilled...irritable... downright angry for the longest time...then perhaps it's a good time to check if we're still on the right road...? the one that leads all the way to JESUS...for apart from Him there simply is no lasting happiness.. 

July being both fiesta month for Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish and the Living Word can usher a joyous rainfall of blessings from our Lord... but only if we approach it with  grateful, humbled hearts.... and only if we renew our promise to take the narrow road... no short-cuts Living Word.... okay?  Choose life in Christ, chose to be truly happy. 

God bless all..................................... ta mye