Faith must be strong to move mountains, to make the impossible, possible. When everything seems to fail and nobody doesn’t seem to see the light, remain faithful and you will receive the real benefits of heavenly graces.
AVV119
Many say, they are ‘faithful’. Are they true to their words? Many profess that they love God, and yet they don’t love their fellow man. Many are religious but they serve themselves, not the Church. All would want to go to heaven when they die, but unfortunately, many are not ready yet. Examine yourself, and chances are, it is not yet too late!
GOD vs. PACQUIAO
The recent triumph of Manny in the boxing arena makes every Filipino go crazy with extreme pride. Yes, we are a Christian nation and even Pacquiao and his mother are very religious, if not deeply spiritual. In this sense, Pacquiao’s family’s faith is not the question here, but ours.
I’ve always waited and watched every fight of our boxing icon. There is no doubt about my own enthusiasm, the good matches and exciting blow by blow punches therein, and the eventual win of our champion in his every battle. That really makes me proud to be a Filipino. Manny Pacquiao really brings pride and glory to our land. But when it comes to my faith in God, there will be no doubt at all that I will choose God above anyone.
As I prepare myself to watch the Pacman fight, I felt the sudden prodding to go to Manaoag Church in Pangasinan, an overwhelming sensation of being ‘told’ to visit the Shrine. I never question that kind of ‘feeling’ or ‘sensation’ every time it envelopes me, and now at this very moment when I was so eager to watch Manny’s boxing battle with Coto. All throughout my life, I’ve always receive ‘messages’ during or after a trip and most times, when I’m in the Manaoag Church.
So instead of watching the Pacman boxing match, I left home and started travelling the long road to Pangasinan. The trip went smooth and easy.
Upon reaching the Church, I was saddened while looking at the Church grounds. The parking lot was near empty. Whereas, on any given Sunday like this, the parking space is full and loaded with vehicles. I was disheartened to find the Church empty as well! You can count the number of people inside the Church. There was never in any of my past visits there that I’ve seen this Church so empty and maybe, even ‘lonely’ for a Sunday. People aren’t there ….
Pacquiao has a stronger ‘pull’ or influence than one’s religious belief or practice? Or could it be that man’s faith is just that weak and/or superficial? I prayed with all my heart for the feeling I felt that day was really so very sad. I felt that man’s faith failed again for the temporary excitement the world brings.
The sadness grew even more when I learned that many of the so-called “faithful” adjusted their Sunday mass for the Saturday concelebrated mass. Imagine Pacquiao can change Filipino schedules? How ironic, when Manny knows how to use his faith with God to conquer the opponent and bring glory to God and country, the country on the other hand gave glory to Manny Pacquiao and left God and the Church alone and lonely.
The love for God that we always profess to have was tested once again and many have failed.
But it is never to late, put God above anyone, put God ahead of anything. For God is eternal and all others are but, temporary…
When it comes to faith, I believe that those who do have their own ways and habits would never waiver and would proceed regardless of circumstances and events, and these are the ones I am referring to. However, for those who are not bound by any rituals or habits in the practice of their faith, they do have their own way of professing and manifesting their beliefs, thus the difference. The point is – in Tagalog parlance: “magpakatotoo ka lang, dahil sa pagiging totoo ka sa puso mo ay hindi ka nagkakasala.”
GREED FOR POWER:
Election is fast approaching. Killing and destroying man for the sake of power is getting worse! It is faith that has sadly, wavered. From Maguindanao to Manila, from the urban to rural areas, the greed for power rules man, and it is becoming more evident now than ever.
The temporary power in the political arena, the power of any groupings, associations, or even corporate establishments and businesses, the world has forgotten that being a leader is of being of service to man and not to enslave and destroy them in the process.
For the love of power, many men forget that there is the real God, and yet they themselves want to lord over, lands and the populace. They have forgotten that there is the real heaven because they have created hell on earth, to be lorded over by them.
For these kinds of people, they are not serving man but instead proclaimed themselves as Gods to rule over mankind. They have been totally deceived and blinded by the dizzying euphoria that greed and power bring. Slaying is just a job that needs to be done to maintain their hold over their people. They do not have God in their hearts but uses the name of God to perpetrate their evil deeds.
For those who remain faithful and are true to their Godly hearts, don’t waver, do not be disheartened. If these people do not even have human hearts, show them that you have. If they do not have the love in their hearts but hate, show them the overflowing love and mercy that you possess. If they do not believe in God, show them that you do and believe in the power of God. If they created hell on earth, let us make it heaven for those who remain faithful.
Remember that faith is a continuous consciousness. It does not rest even for a millisecond, for the eternal reward will be there for the taking. Don’t be a hypocrite for it is the biggest deception a man can do against his God.
Put God into your life and real understanding will come to you. Enlightenment is all we need to see the true meaning of faith in God.