Be Inspired and Enriched!

Today is my birthday. A few decades ago, but not half a century ago yet, I first experienced light and life on this earth. My life and faith journey has been meaningful and fully human. Today, I am grateful to Christ Jesus, my Lord, my God, my Saviour and my friend, for this opportunity to enjoy His creation and to experience God's divinity in me and in others. God has abundantly blessed me with faith, hope and love through the people he has placed around me and those I share a bit of time with as friends, colleagues, fellow parishioners, classmates, neighbours, or simply as journey mates. I am a Pilgrim. Like all Christians, I travel in this pilgrimage here on earth trusting in the loving generosity of God. And with Mary, help of all Christians, I hope that we will reach our final destination to experience God's eternal glory. On this day, I invite you to journey with me in this beautiful world. Even if it's only through these words meeting your eyes and thoughts.

Early today, I had a chat with a lady about her father who is in his eighties. He seems to start behaving like a little child. As the conversation progressed, I can also see her Dad's reactions in my little boy's reactions and behaviour. I also saw some parallel with my Dad who is now a bit over seventy years old. We then spoke about other elderly relatives and friends and how they see life. A number of them are bitter and always angry about their own lives. When we look at their lives at the outset, we reckon they have a lot more blessings to be thankful for yet they behave as if they are worse off than anyone else in the world. At a seniors' school, we also see the same patterns: some are still happy and cheery even in their 80's and 90's and some are never satisfied with what they have or who they are or who they have become. Based on our observations with people surrounding us, we somehow came to the same conclusion that most of those who were behaving bad...

Hi! Today is onlyTuesday but I feel pretty tired, physically and mentally. It seems I am still having a hang-over from a busy weekend. But when I read the lyrics of this song by Billy Joel, I imagine God is singing it to me. I feel like I am enveloped by God's love. Go, try it! Just the Way You Are Billy Joel Don't go changing, to try and please me You never let me down before Don't imagine you're too familiar And I don't see you anymore I wouldn't leave you in times of trouble We never could have come this far I took the good times, I'll take the bad times, I'll take you just the way you are. Don't go trying some new fashion Don't change the color of your hair You always have my unspoken passion Although I might not seem to care I don't want clever conversation I never want to work that hard I just want someone that I can talk to I want you just the way you are. I need to know that you will always be The same o...

My patience had been tested by the boys. I have to reflect on the virtue of patience today. Patience = The capacity of enduring hardship or inconvenience without complaint: forbearance , long-suffering , resignation , tolerance . FAMOUS QUOTES ON PATIENCE: "Patience is passion tamed." - Lyman Abbott "Our real blessings often appear to us in the shape of pains, losses and disappointments; but let us have patience and we soon shall see them in their proper figures." - Joseph Addison "Slow and steady wins the race." - Aesop "Perhaps there is only one cardinal sin: impatience. Because of impatience we were driven out of Paradise, because of impatience we cannot return." - W. H. Auden "Who ever is out of patience is out of possession of their soul." - Francis Bacon "Little by little, through patience and repeated effort, the mind will become stilled in the Self." - Bhagavad Gita "Patience. A minor form of despair disguised as...

One of my friends, Fr. Jesus Richie Santos, sdb, shared this article on how to have a meaningful marriage. 1. Conflict is your friend. There are differences in every relationship - what makes or breaks a marriage is how partners choose to resolve those conflicts. Ignoring them is not the solution. That would be like ignoring cancer in the hope that it will go away by itself. Actually when conflicts are resolved successfully, the relationship can move to an even higher level of stability and intimacy. Use the following tips to resolve conflicts in your marriage. 2. Listen with empathy . Empathy is your ability to see things from your partner's perspective. Listen to your partner and tune in to his/her feelings. Whatever your partner is feeling "makes sense" from his or her perspective. When you start to "get it", you will know not only what your partner is feeling - you will also understand why. You are ready for the next step. 3. Respond with empathy . Tell you...

If you are currently on a search, here are some suggestions or 5 Steps you may want to embark on: Step Number 1: Spend Time with Yourself: Reflection Time As soon as you get the news about a possible retrenchment, schedule a day or two half days of silent reflection. This means that you have to give yourself a time to listen to your inner voice. But before you start enumerating your talents and all that you possess within you, take a walk or go to a place that makes you relaxed and at peace. Perhaps, a serene place or a unique setting which triggers happy memories. Enjoy being with yourself. Take in the beauty and the joyful atmosphere around you. Feel complete.During this time, appreciate the goodness within you. Be grateful for all that has been, including the not-so-good times in your life. These have helped form who you are today. Congratulate yourself. The fact that you are alive today is a result of how you made several decisions in the past to take care of yourself.Understand ...

The preacher at the Ash Wednesday Mass spoke about the necessity for us to prepare and learn. He said that in order to prepare for a life in the secular world, we need to learn how to read, write and count. On the other hand, in order to prepare for our life in the eternal world, we need to pray, give (alms) and be reconciled (to have peace). A pretty simple lesson. And we hear this every year. The most difficult part is how to practise what we hear and learn. On my way to church, I saw a number of people briskly walking along the park, but towards the direction of the church. I tried to guess that these people were going to church. They were coming from the left side of the park, from the right side and from the front. But, as this is the centre of town, I thought, well, you must be dreaming. People nowadays do not walk fast just to make it on time for a church service. So, I tried to figure out those brisk-walking people: a young professional looking guy in his crisp black suit, a mi...