by Rey Mella 

A story of coincidence. I missed the March 2 homily and a good portion of Fr. Jojo Magadia’s talk for a personal reason. The following morning, I checked my emails and got a very nice email from www.guidelines.org, actually sent on Friday “about criticism, distortion and isolation… often used techniques to discredit and smear us, and to quiet our voice of dissent, all in the practice of our faith, in proclaiming the Gospel and in living our convictions.” It gives us bullets on how to fight back …... I memorized a line from that email and at breakfast, I told my family, listen to this: “All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing!” And, my wife and daughter said: “That’s exactly what Fr. Jojo said last night!” God seems to be rubbing in the need for us to act.

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 Here’s how to fight back (according to that article, Guidelines, By. Dr. Harold Sala):

1. Reflect the real thing - mirror the life of Jesus in your conduct, your business, and your ethics.
2. Stand fast for the truth and that which is right - remember, ‘All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.’
3. Keep your relationship with Christ warm and vibrant. Your passion for Him and to share Him must be your motivating force in your life that says, “This is right and that is wrong."
4. Be willing to pay the price of being socially ignored, considered 'weird" or 'fanatical’.
5. Serve God with all your heart, your resources, your time, and your talents!
6. Never minimize or depreciate what God can do through you.
   

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Juan was asked to temporarily take care of the gates of Heaven in lieu of St. Peter who was tasked to do something else for a few minutes.

Juan: So how do I screen who to allow in? 
St. Peter: Easy. Just ask them a bible question or two. If they answer correctly, let them in.

As soon as St. Peter left, one of Juan’s childhood friend and his elementary teacher came knocking. Juan asked them some relatively easy bible questions. And in they went.
Then, the high school bully came.  
Bully: You’re in charge?  
Juan: Yes. Remember me? 
Bully: Yes, of course. We were in high school together, right? Sorry about those days. How do I get in?  
Juan: Easy, just answer a few bible questions. 
Bully: Ah okay. Just give me the easy ones. I know you can forgive me about those times I made life difficult for you. Am really sorry.  
Juan: No problem. Forgiveness is one of the things I have learned here. Do you know the Miracle of the 5,000?
Bully: Yes, of course. That’s the multiplication of the bread and the fish. 
Juan: Correct.  
Bully: So, I can go in now?
Juan: Not yet. Name the 5,000!
 
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To increase your knowledge of the bible, we hope you attend our April community celebration and listen to Bishop Pablo David. Am sure, though, he won’t give you a list of the 5,000 names.
 
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The highest pursuit of man is to glorify God & to enjoy His Kingdom. – A.W. Tozer

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From a bookmark: “When you’re down on your knees is the best position to pray.” 
Sadly, in the past, I prayed a lot more and harder when I had so many problems and was literally down on my knees. One of the things I have learned from St. Ignatius, through Magis Deo, is to have an ongoing relationship and daily conversations with God. Then I don’t really have to make exceptionally “big” prayers during my down-on-my-knees situations. After all, I tell Him about my situation practically everyday.
 
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"The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you."

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Someone was hanging from a vine on a cliff for dear life, shouting “Help! Help! Is there someone out there?”  Suddenly, a voice from beyond the clouds boomed, “Let go! Trust me.” The man, looking downwards and seeing how deep it was down there, shouted again, “Help! Is there someone else out there?”

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From a text message, beautiful one-liners:
1. Give GOD what's right - not what's left.
2. A lot of kneeling will keep you in good standing.
3. He who kneels before GOD can stand before anyone.
4. In the sentence of life, the devil may be a comma, but never let him be the period.
5. Are you wrinkled with burden? Come to CHURCH for a face lift.
6. When praying, don't give GOD instructions, just report for duty.
7. We don't change God's message, His message changes us.

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Someone sent this to me:
“Nothing is going to spoil this moment. Imagine making that decision. Nothing's going to spoil this moment. Now, imagine making that decision about a relationship, job, a day in the week, or about whatever. Imagine applying that idea uniformly in your life. - Neale Donald Walsch, author of Conversations with God.

It is such a simple thing. This choosing to embrace the unspoiled in every aspect of our lives. So simple, yet so profound. And it is a decision we each can choose to make. May you decide to allow nothing to spoil this day. And may you always be aware that you are loved beyond measure…”

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Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we respond to it.
How are you responding to life?

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o    Norwegian proverb: “No such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.”

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From Heartfelt Blessings:
“‘If this is a blessing, it is certainly very well disguised.’
 ~ Winston Churchill, British prime minister during World War II

We are often told we should count our blessings, the general consensus being that if our minds are centered on those things that are right with our lives, we won't be so bothered by those things that aren't.  But sometimes it’s the distressing moments, those times when absolutely nothing goes right, those horrible gut-wrenching minutes and hours and days when we feel like our entire world has crumbled, it's those experiences that prove, with the passage of time, to be the greatest blessings of all.

To enjoy life to the fullest, we must be willing to "count it all good", ready to peer beyond the disguise and acknowledge the hidden blessing tucked within, even when we can't see it. There is a blessing present, of that you can be sure. Like a child playing hide and seek, it may be carefully hidden, but we can always trust and know that one comes packaged in every moment and it is just waiting to be found out.”

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On a personal note, my son Jared had a "minor" accident last February 27, when immediately right after class, he and his classmates had a game of hide and seek. Jared hid behind the door and BAM! Someone suddenly opened the door, the door knob hitting his forehead. (No, he wasn't standing!) My wife picked him up from school and brought him to the doctor for a check-up and a few stitches.

Like any other parent who feels bad when a child is hurt, I was driving home later that same day, and feeling bad about the “unnecessary and highly preventable accident", it suddenly dawned on me that it could have been worse. What if he had not ducked a little lower? It would have been his eyes - breaking his eyeglasses first and then his eyes! An angel was indeed with him! I had to count my blessings.
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Counting your blessings. A man crosses the street. A bird flies above and drops something on the man’s head. The man touches his head and smells the droppings. He thanks God. Why would he thank God for bird dropping?  He was really grateful it was not an elephant which flew by.

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ME Trivia
Question: When was the very first ME Weekend held in the Philippines?
Answer: The first ME Weekend in the Philippines was held at the Loyola Retreat House at Angono, Rizal, on October 3-5, 1969, with Fr. Ruben Tanseco, S.J. as Team Priest and Sito-Siony Sison as Team Couple. Eleven couples and four priests joined ME Class # 1. Among the priests were Fr. Jess Fernandez, SJ , Fr. Pat Lim and Fr. Aureo Nepumoceno.

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Something to reflect on these days in the context of our nationwide political exercise in May:
“To love our country and our people with deep passion and compassion—this is what can make our nation great.”   - Fr. Ruben M. Tanseco, S.J.
“All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing!” - Edmund Burke