Drinkers say: “Beer over whisky, very risky; Whisky over beer, have no fear.” Following the Lord’s words, I say: “Fear over faith leads to stress; Faith over fear, Ok dear!”
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In today’s Gospel (Mark 4:35-41) Jesus tells us: “Why are you afraid? Do you not yet have faith?” We all have fears, real or imagined. Let us face our fears. Let us face our fears with faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Faith over fear!
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Whenever our comfort zones are disturbed or threatened, often we react with fear! We don’t want to risk, to be inconvenienced, to let go of control, and be insecure. Whenever, we go through any “storm,” let the Lord tell us, as He rebuked the sea and the wind: “Quiet! Be still!” (Mark 4:39)
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The Lord is with us in the storm. His presence is our radar that will help us to be strong in the storm, and make us survive the storm. “If the Lord is with us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)
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BTS! Believe, Trust, Surrender. No storm lasts forever. Let us learn to let go and let God. Let us deepen our resolve to trust the Lord more, and surrender everything and everyone to His loving will and plans. As the Lord has promised, He will not abandon us, especially in the most painful and difficult moments of our journey. “I am with you always.” (Matthew 28:20)
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On a personal note, I look back with gratitude that I responded to the Lord’s call to leave my comfort zone and go to where He wanted me to be. Early on, I left home when I entered Christ the King Seminary, Quezon City, when I was 12 years old. I experienced homesickness, deprivation, all kinds of challenges, but I held on to the Lord, and to Mama Mary, holding on to my rosary when I sleep at night. By God’s grace, I survived and I grew. Pain makes us stronger and humbler. The “storms” of life make us wiser, and more grateful.
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Going to Korea in 1984 was not easy, as it meant leaving the comfort of home, country, language, and culture. It was a “leap into the dark” that I did, knowing that the Lord is with me and He will be there to catch me when I fail and fall. A song that kept me going was that Marco Sison’s “My love will see you through.”
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My cancer journey in 2018 was a pernicious journey into the unfamiliar and the unknown. Fear was never gone all throughout, but it was not a “total eclipse of the heart,” but a total redirection to God’s heart! It was a cleansing and purifying experience, not only physically but also emotionally and spiritually. It was faith that helped me see more clearly, love more dearly, and live more meaningfully. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5)
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Pain, problems, issues, and life’s challenges are real. But, so is faith! We have a choice to take the proud road of my will, my way, my time, or take the humble road of God’s will, God’s will, God’s time!
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There are people who say that faith is an escape. It is not. It is an alternate route. And there are those who say that believers are fanatics and dreamers. Not so. They are people who made a choice to be open to the Divine, and to be led, guided, and strengthened by God’s grace to do God’s mission to love.
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Think about this: “Blessed is the crisis that made you grow; the fall that made you look to heaven; and the problems that made you look for God.” (St. Padre Pio)
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A moment with the Lord.Lord, help us to keep choosing faith over fear. Amen.
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