My Daily Nourishment

Good evening folks! It seems that I am quite sleepy now. After another long day of running errands with hubby which made me a bit tired right now. I am happy because hubby is also happy after getting one of his dreams. I will share about it once we have it already.

Anyway, while taking our dinner early this evening, I finally convinced hubby to drink my favorite green tea. I told him that he can consider it like the most effective diet pills because the stomach is being cleansed after taking it. He just have some health problems now like experiencing high blood pressure for the past two months. I told him that the same sickness is in our blood and I am very thankful that I don’t have any problem with it. Besides, this sickness is never in my dreams. He also said that he can go to the comfort room after some hours of drinking a glass of green tea. I believed in the natural wonder of this tea. Hubby had finally said, “Your Tea Taste Good”. Good news, he also said that from now on, he will be drinking one or two glasses every day.

Each of us has a responsibility to live the truth we hear in the Gospel. If we who have heard the Gospel do not live it, we will be held accountable for the lives of those who have never heard it. Let us pray for men and women to take up the call to devote their lives exclusively to living and proclaiming the Gospel. If that is not our call, let us be generous in supporting them. We all have a role to play here – I hope you know what your role is and that you are living it.

1 John 5:5-13

5 Beloved: Who indeed is the victor over the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 6 This is the one who came through water and blood, Jesus Christ, not by water alone, but by water and blood. The Spirit is the one that testifies, and the Spirit is truth. 7 So there are three that testify, 8 the Spirit, the water, and the blood, and the three are of one accord. 9 If we accept human testimony, the testimony of God is surely greater. Now the testimony of God is this, that he has testified on behalf of his Son. 10 Whoever believes in the Son of God has this testimony within himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar by not believing the testimony God has given about his Son. 11 And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever possesses the Son has life; whoever does not possess the Son of God does not have life. 13 I write these things to you so that you may know that you have eternal life, you who believe in the name of the Son of God.
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I believed some or maybe most of you have your list of New Year’s resolution for 2011. If you do so, I also have some. Here they are;

1. I am trying my best to be more frugal and thrifty this year. I want to avoid shopping when it is not necessary. I wish to save money when possible. I guess being a jobless like me is quite difficult but I will try.
2. I want to lose weight and hope to drop some kilos this year. I guess I need some sort of natural appetite suppressant to control my appetite this year.
3. I want to eat more vegetables and fruits.
4. I am trying my best to have more patient and understanding. So, help me Lord.
5. I will try to go to bed earlier in the night so that I can also wake-up early.
6. I want to do more exercise and walking.

More resolutions to come in my future post.

We all want to celebrate the gift of salvation that comes through Jesus. It seems reasonable to me that since Mary is the mother of Jesus, we should honor her obedience to God’s call and thus see in her life the example of everything a disciple of Jesus should be. She is the first and most perfect disciple of her Son. Let us never forget to honor her response to God’s call and to use it as inspiration for our own lives of discipleship.

Galatians 4:4-7

4 Brothers and sisters: When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to ransom those under the law, so that we might receive adoption. 6 As proof that you are children, God sent the spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.
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We just took our dinner. After eating, me and hubby have been discussing some of our plans for this year. There are just a lot of plans and we hope that we can accomplish some for this year. First and foremost is to renovate a bit our old stone house. This is quite a ten-year project. We are also planning to make a better car garage and a good garage door opener. This will be a two-car garage this time so that we don’t have a lot of work to do during winter time. This is a priority because this winter is truly not so friendly. I mean, when there is too much snow, we always take time cleaning the car because it is parked outside. I hope some financial aspects will be cleared soon. For other plans we have, we need to consider our budget. I am hoping to win the lottery to make all these projects possible…wink!

The place of Jesus’ birth does not look promising. Yet, look at what the life of a babe born in a manger accomplishes. If such a transition is possible for Jesus as a result of His Father’s will, then we should never doubt that the Lord has big things in store for each of us as well – if only we will seek His will. Find it and be obedient to it.

Luke 2:16-21

16 The shepherds went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. 17 When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. 18 All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. 19 And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them. 21 When eight days were completed for his circumcision, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

my reflections
think: The Lord has big things in store for each of us if only we would seek His will.

BEGIN 2011 WITH JESUS

Every life, every beginning starts at birth. Birth never happens without a mother. As we begin the year 2011, the Holy Mother Church invites us to honor and reflect on the greatest of all mothers, Mary, Mother of God.

One Christmas, I remember attending a Christmas reunion party with schoolmates from my high school days. In the midst of the animated faces, excited conversations and lively exchanges, I noticed a less than enthusiastic member in the mix. I spoke to her and she casually told me she was upset about leaving her cell phone at home. “I never leave home without it, Father. That’s why I’m upset.”

“Wow,” I thought to myself. Seeing friends she had not seen in nearly two decades could not reverse her disappointment over the cell phone she left at home.
What would you never leave home without? As we begin the New Year, what would you never begin 2011 without?

Today, the Church gives us a suggestion.
As we ponder on the image painted by St. Luke, notice the plainness of the scene: “The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger.” The place was unadorned, simple and uncomplicated. It was simply Joseph and Mary, with Jesus lying in the manger.

Today’s feast of Mary, the Mother of God, is a beautiful reminder. Mary was with Jesus. Mary understood that the baby she delivered is the One who would deliver the world. So what would you never leave home without? What would you never begin 2011 without? Mary proposes an answer. Never leave home without Jesus. Never begin 2011 without Jesus.

Ponder on this: We may never know what the future holds. But we know who holds our future. Like Mary, be with Jesus.

Thanks to Fr. Joel O. Jason for sharing this very inspiring story.

Reflection Question:
To whom do you entrust the year ahead — to your own powers or to the One who knows and holds everything in His hands?

Oh Mary, there are many things you did not see but your faith enjoined you to travel on securely, joyfully. With you, we rejoice at the birth of Christ, our Light, and to Him we pray, “Lead kindly light…Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to see the distant scene; one step is enough for me.”

St. Fanchea, pray for us.
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Good evening Europe! Good morning Philippines! Greetings to everyone! Just an hour ago, as I took a short break from internet, I noticed an envelope on our bed. I was asking hubby if that was already the Christmas cards and birthday card that my sister sent last December. Actually, it was not, as hubby told me. These were old ones from 2009. I remember our youngest brother who was asking kinect xbox as Christmas present that time. Sorry little bro, probably next time.

The Christmas cards, because they sent two last 2009, were handmade by my sisters including the birthday greeting card for hubby. They also enclosed some photographs taken back home in the Philippines. It was quite thoughful receiving such stuffs. I hope the ones sent last December 2010 will arrive soon.

The nature of blessings is that they come from someone else. As we reflect upon today’s First Reading, let us be mindful that God gives these blessings. It is our humble role, perhaps even duty, to receive them with gratitude. Have a look at the substance of these blessings and see what God is offering you. I wonder what your response will be?

Numbers 6:22-27

22 The LORD said to Moses: 23 “Speak to Aaron and his sons and tell them: This is how you shall bless the Israelites. Say to them: 24 The LORD bless you and keep you! 25 The LORD let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! 26 The LORD look upon you kindly and give you peace! 27 So shall they invoke my name upon the Israelites, and I will bless them.”
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Thanks God its Friday! It’s truly TGIF and thanks God for every day as we wake-up with good health and condition. The second weekend of the first month of 2011 is coming soon. We should be driving somewhere today but we cancelled it because of the bad road condition. It is icy everywhere.

Instead,we decided to go tomorrow in Neumarkt to look for some things. We also planned to go to the fleemarket in the same city. I am hoping to find artwork prints, porcelain tea sets and glass crystals there. Lastly, I would like to greet everyone a wonderful weekend in advance. Take care folks especially to my friends nearby who are planning for weekend trips. Drive safely.

Just as Mary’s thanksgiving is expressed in her Magnificat (albeit largely borrowed from Hannah, the mother of Samuel), so too is Zechariah’s thanksgiving expressed in the Benedictus, the Gospel for today. We learn here that we should always seek opportunities to give thanks to God for the blessings He gives us. Gratitude is an integral part of discipleship; it will ensure the ongoing blessing of our projects, relationships and entire lives.

Luke 1:67-79

67 Zechariah his father, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied, saying: 68 “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has visited and brought redemption to his people. 69 He has raised up a horn for our salvation within the house of David his servant, 70 even as he promised through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old: 71 salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us, 72 to show mercy to our fathers and to be mindful of his holy covenant 73 and of the oath he swore to Abraham our father, and to grant us that, 74 rescued from the hand of enemies, without fear we might worship him 75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. 76 And you, child, will be called prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, 77 to give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, 78 because of the tender mercy of our God by which the daybreak from on high will visit us 79 to shine on those who sit in darkness and death’s shadow, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”

my reflections
think: Gratitude is an integral part of discipleship; it will ensure the ongoing blessing of our projects, relationships and entire lives.
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