Matthew 6:26

Matthew 6:26 Look at the birds: they do not plant seeds, gather a harvest and put it in barns; yet your father in heaven takes care of them! Aren’t you worth much more than birds? My former colleagues in teaching starts worrying about the thought of becoming a missionary priest. One would say in kapampangan “Pakananu ka kanyan Reggie kung matwa ka” How your life would be Reggie when you’re in the old age? And one would say “alang pera ken, dumanup kamu” there would be no money there, you will starve. And suddenly I reflected with those statement and I asked myself a question. 1. Why some of us worried about our own future in life? Usually we human being dream to have a car, own a house and lot and a lot of money in a bank. This passage from Matthew really gives me a relief of trusting God with regards to our human needs. Jesus understands and does not deny the reality of our own needs. But apparently this things like possessions, money even fame and power became our master and we turn to be slaves of this earthly things. God never abandoned his creatures like the birds in the sky, they didn’t worry about anything but they are live and has food to eat. As the saying goes, “Live life to the fullest” so we must live not in worries but in Christ and he will take care of you. As the end of this reflection I would like to quote a verse in Psalms: “The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season, you open your hand, satisfying the desire of every little things.” (Psalms 145: 15-16) May all of us think and feel that God is our provider and he will not leave us behind.

Freebie Green Mug

My Formator Fr. Brendan Kelly SSC, with my co-formands 

 Note: Weekly Spiritual Entry Journal dated July 23, 2011.You can find this entry in my Facebook account

As the 10th week will now ended in my spiritual year journey..
I want to share to you a personal reflection that I done in one of our friday classes

Hope you're inspired with this reflection

Last Wednesday, Fr. Brendan Kelly goes to Greenhills to buy groceries accompanied by Ate Joy for our food this week and a Freebie Green Mug attract me, Tavite also there to help Fr. Brendan in arranging and putting up stuff in a proper place. I said to Fr. Brendan “Can I have that Green Mug?” and I thought in that moment Tavite wants also that small green Mug that is a freebie from a chocolate powder brand. I smiled when father gave me that small mug and I go to my room stared at the mug and feel overwhelmed. I remember 5 years ago, April 5, 2006 before my graduation rites in our university my grandmother secretly gives me 500 pesos and said “That’s yours keep it, understand your Dad I think he has no money” I feel the same way that the mug given me and it been a half decade when I experience the same feelings. In my life history my parents and grandmother always tell me to understand and to give priority to my brother and sisters. I remember when I want a cellphone and my Dad will say give priority first to your brother so that he will motivate to go to school another same situations when my Dad decided to treat my half-sisters an expensive birthday party and even though I want also an expensive party but he said to understand the situation because he has no money left and he just bring a bilao of Pansit Guisado to my birthday. I live with my life that my parents did not give me a thing to make it my own. A thing that make me happy and makes me feel overwhelmed. When I look at back my life history I cry because in my life they put it in my mind that I must to understand. Give priority to others, show your love to our brother and half-sisters but they never asked if I need love and attention to them. But God is my absolute father and mother he provides me all that I need. He let me feel that I am special. He gives me a Job, He let me passed the Licensure Examination for Teacher, He granted my wishes, my aspirations in life. He always gives me graces and gifts that are more personal and grateful and like a Freebie Green Mug. God gives me a free chance of life in this seminary. I know there are times of failures and sorrow but God has a better plan for us and I quote from one verse from the Book of Jeremiah chapter 28:11 for surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you future with hope. And I know and believe that I am here to fix and mold me to better me and for a brand new REGGIE.

Matangtubig Experience

Note: My reflection on our half day exposure to Barrio Matangtubig in Quezon City as our output in our discussion about CHURCH in our Catechism Class (This will be publish at Tambuli Newsletter - a newsletter of the Daughters of Sacred Heart - Philippine Region) 

 What is Church?
 This is the main question that we should ask during our stay in Matangtubig Community. It's a wonderful experience asking the people about their opinion regarding church. I had with me Tavite as my partner in that activity and with Ate in our side guiding us in our interview. We focus our attention to the fathers in the community. During my convervation and trying to see the depth meaning of church I am amazed with their answer. Church is Jesus, Church is healer, Church as a Teacher, Church as the provider. This are answers that based from their own experiences of healing, teaching and providing food. Church is Jesus that is show by the people surround us. Church is always in our side in our daily household chores, in our way of living. Church works, church loves us – This is according to the group of mothers that we asked. Church is somehow a reationship. If we are regularly visiting our church, the relationship will become intimate and we can't recognize the church if were not use to visit or have time to talk and pray. Church for me is a church were we understand one another. A laughter that is genuine. A group of people who binds together eventhough there is a differences but we are bind because of the church, helping one another with the common good. Church is a church of the poor and I need to inculcate how the poor should gave an utmost care and love. Matangtubig experience is an experience that will remain whenever the life I will face afterwards. Reggie O. Cruz Seminarian

God's Whisper

Note: My Journal entry this morning October 22, 2011, I want to share to you the wonderful experience I had

 I was cleaning the chapel when I heard a voice "Come kiss me, love me, no one sees but you feel good and happy. Come touch me and put me in your heart. We're working together, inspire one another, I am glad that you're mine. Even no one appreciate your deeds. I am here to appreciate you. Look at yourself before when you are sad. I brought people to made you happy. The
sun was shining and you felt the heat of it. But I hug you and say "you're doing a great job" Don't bother people surrounds you. What important is we love one another. Come on kiss me, love me, no one sees. only between two of us. I Love you and you love me too

Psalm of Comfort

' Note: An output in our scripture class with Rev. Fr. Dominic Nolan about Psalms.. I made this one I hope you like it 

 My Lord , Oh my Lord you are my soft and pure cloth who wipe away my tears in my humble eyes in every tear drops My God you comfort me your soft cloth sip my painful memories In every sin, you're trying to save me you give me grace to fight what is evil and defend me to do good things whenever the situations – you are my soft and pure cloth Lord, how pure and gentle is your name my God, who loves me intimately you take away my tears, your cloth catch my sins to save my soul from the earthly spirits and purify me with your softest cloth My Lord is my soft and pure cloth In every sin, I know you become dirty dusty, messy but you accept them all to show your endless Love to show your compassionate heart

The Spirit Walk

I would like to share to you a moment with nature where in God communicates with us, sharing his intimate friendship in such a simple way. I was staring on this insect but no one recognize its name but I learnt a lesson that really touches my heart. You are unknown insect long black one, yellow in every side with several feet. You are every where, I touch you and bend and trying to be a stone, you move around in any direction, trying to find a safe spot. You stop when someone touch, bend until you create a circle. At glance, I see you as a pest but you molded my thinking after a deep moment with you. I see your kindness, your friendship, your intimate care. Accompaniyng me with the unconditional love. You are my God! Continue to love though most often I hurt you and say “ I am here, look at me, I am with you, feel, discover and love me” you became whole and continue your journey and walk with every possible way. I don't know yor name, I asked someone but he never knew but he said you are always there. Thank you that I appreciate you, thank you for a moment. Ilove you very much.
 Note: This was created during our activity on our Friday Modular Classes about VIRTUES. when I shared them to other formand. They like it. I hope you like it too.

Between I and God is LOVE

This is me when he had an opportunity to visit
Center of Eco Living and Learning (CELL) in Silang, Cavite 

(Reflection based on the Article of George A. Aschenbrenner, S.J.)

It is the end of School year and I’m glad that I already done with my paper works in my job and I’m ready to court a girl that I totally in love with. I text her in my cellphone that I will go to their house to express my desire formally. So as a preparation I take my bath, select a nice outfit, take the necessary things to do. I buy a dozen of donut, 3 liters of bottled cola and cute stuff toy.
But when I’m in their house disappointment and frustration appear. We had a nice conversation in texting her in my cellphone and all of the sudden she didn’t entertain me that much. After all of my preparation, it’s like an early Holy week. She didn’t tell me why, I don’t know what the problem is and I found out that he likes a Man who is rich, better-looking and not a teacher. She didn’t NOTICE and APPRECIATE my LOVE to her and how I SACRIFICE for the TIME and PREPARATION.
Why I use this kind of heartbreaking story of mine? To make you cry? or to make pity on me?
It is because this one event of my life suddenly sprouted after I read the article of George A. Ashenbrenner, a Jesuit on Examen of Consciousness.
In our life, God try and continuously court us in different situations in our day to day encounter But most often we see the bad side of life. The crucial part of it example your day is very stressful a lot of work to do, I break up with my girlfriend, my parents seems never like me etc. But most often we didn’t NOTICE how God is moving, touching and gently love us. We forgot small and simple events but Examination of Consciousness is a helpful exercise or it can be a prayer to articulate God loving message to us in every beat of our life.
As I quote “Examen gives our daily contemplative experience of God real bite into all our daily living” God reveal to us in such a moment that it touches our heart and make us feel better. This is a stage of life that we appreciate his love and care.
The first element is enlightenment and guidance to the Father allowing him to help us in our discernment for the whole day. It is also a manifestation that we are human that we need his presence and help in evaluating his moving graces.
It’s really strike me to this statement “Only the truly poor person can appreciate the slightest gift and feel genuine gratitude” In the second element of Examen it teaches me to be like a poor person. APPRECIATE little things in life, valuing small blessings and found out an everlasting Joy with the slightest light, blessings that only a poor person experience.
I remember an afternoon of July 6, 2011; I decided to walk around until I notice myself going to the Divine word Garden in Christ the King Seminary. The place is awesome; the scenery gives me a comfortable heart. It gives me happiness and the funny thing is I see tadpoles in a small pond and remember my childhood days that after the heavy rain, my cousins and playmates come and we go to our backyards and collect tadpoles and I remember how we laugh looking at tadpoles near in bamboo trees.
In that moment of looking my history, I thank God for that opportunity to brought me to this place to recognize his presence and LOVE. That simple scene in a day really touches me and God reveals his loving presence, it is not extravagant one but like a poor person this simple event is something special to both of God and me.
After the enlightenment and thanksgiving of the wonderful gifts of the almighty, it is the time to examen what happening to you in the different phases of the day.
I agree with the operative questions that Aschenbrenner said. We should ask yourself; what has been happening to us? How has the Lord been working in us? What has he been asking us?
I learned in praying that ninety percent of the time in praying is LISTENING. Perhaps we are too busy with our work and didn’t notice or observe our movement in a day but this third element of the examen trying to remember how God dealing with you. Awareness of How God works with you. It gives you a clear vision of the day where God trying to call you to make some changes and begin a new life with him.
I remember in that day also when I go the Divine Word Garden and ride a jeepney going to our spiritual year house because it’s too early to go home. I decide to myself to go the Seminary House in 42 Rosario Drive to play basketball. I see the clouds seem to pour out rain but somehow my mind and heart said to go on to my plan to play basketball but it seems that I feel coward because of minimal shower of rain that may cause a heavy rains and I might not play. But I fight my cowardness and be brave to go whatever happened and thinking that the Lord will take care of me.
In that event God telling me to be brave and trust him, he tells me to enjoy the rain, enjoy playing basketball, and enjoy my gift to you. It tells me to be relaxed, calm and ignore if I will going to be wet on rain afterwards. In this part of our consciousness examen God telling me to show braveness in all times because he knows his sheep and he never wants his sheep to be in danger.
On the final element of Examen, we have hopeful resolution in the future. As a quote in the article “We must be honest in acknowledging our feeling for the future… by hoping it will go away. This is a moment of asking the graces you need to the future to carry out yourself and be ready for tomorrow. Asking God to assist you in eliciting the events of our life that you need to make sure that you’re intimate relationship with the ALMIGHTY flourished and grow. It is also the time to pray his grace to make an intact communication between you and God.
I want to leave this reflection in a one event to relate the message that I learned through reading this article. Today, I started again to play Basketball and it is very frustrating that in my initial attempts I failed, but I notice myself that in giving my TIME in it I develop the art of shooting and dribbling the ball by regularly playing with it and it very helpful in your hearth and body playing this kind of sport. It is also applicable in Examination of Consciousness, regular doing this art of praying really help yourself in relating to God and also it may helpful in relating the hearts of others. God require us this as the prophet Micah said “To do what is just, to show constant love, and to live in humble fellowship with our God” (MICAH 6:8) May I find God and love him through this prayer and may I enjoy his presence and what he requires me to do in my life.