May 6 2011

How to overcome temptation?

Stay focused on Jesus…and make him one of your best friends….

I envy you Jesus my friend

For you overcome all temptations of the fiend

World’s riches, honor, glory for you, are nothing and empty

For in you, lies the eternal and real glory.

You exhausted satan of all his tricks

You embarrassed him of his dirty tactics

Food, he offered, from stone to bread

You shamed him saying, ‘bread is not only your need.’

The world and its treasures he offered to you

The condition is for him to rule over you

Same, the offer you turned down immediately

Because for you, the worship to God alone is necessary.

Satan enticed you off the cliff, jumping

He said, ‘angels down there are waiting’

You said, ‘get lost satan out of my sight

Dare you no put God to the test.

Satan was trapped by his own snare

As he tried to stop your mission so dear

To tell us of your Father’s Kingdom in heaven

and to lead us there when our days ripen.

Jesus I plead with you, your courage I need to gain

To help me stop satan’s ways so mundane

Guide me to follow your ways

And help us to desire God always.

Jesus thank you for showing us the way

To conquer the motives of the enemy

By letting him explore all means of temptation

While you remain unmoved, still standing on your ground.

Jesus give us the courage to dare

To see and avoid the devil’s snare

So that we may not lose sight of your person

As you lead us to our eternal salvation.

I composed this poem prayerfully while contemplating on the scene of the temptation of Jesus by the evil one. This is one of the fruits of my thirty-day retreat in Jesuit’s Retreat House in Kew in June 2009.

Apr 13 2011

7 Last Words of Jesus (English & Latin)

Jesus, before he died has left us WORDS that summed up his mission. As God, he forgave our sins. As human, he felt thirst. As a friend, he entrusted us to Mary, His mother. As a teacher, he taught us to humble ourselves before God, even if it means CROSS for us. As a saviour of the world, he taught us to acknowledge our sinfulness before God, so as to be able to be with him in Paradise. Let’s then reflect on his 7 last words and ask Jesus to help us listen with an open heart.

1.”Father, forgive them; for they do not know

what they are doing.” Lk. 23: 34

Pater, dimitte illis, quia nesciunt, quid faciunt.

2. ”Truly I tell you, today you will be with

me in Paradise.” Lk.23:43

Hodie mecum eris in Paradiso.

3. ”Woman, here is your son;

Here is your mother.” Jn. 19: 26-27

Mulier, ecce filius tuus.

4. ”My God, my God, why have you

forsaken me?” Mk. 15:34; Mt 27:46

Deus meus, Deus meus, utquid dereliquisti me?

‘Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?’

5. ”I am thirsty.” Jn. 19:28

Sitio.

6. “It is finished.” Jn 19:30

Consummatum est.

7. ” Father, into your hands

I commend my spirit.” Lk 23: 46

In manus tuas, Domine, commendo

spiritum meum.

Apr 5 2011

Reflecting on the Gospel of John [Jn 5:1-3,5-16]

“NO man is an island,” John Dunne said. No one can live independent of anyone else. That’s why we have ears because we need to listen to other, we have eyes because we need to look at others, we have mouth because we need to talk to others, we have nose, because we need to smell the aroma of the society where we live in, we have hands to touch other people’s lives, and we have feet to go and reach out to others.

Our gospel today is a concrete testimony of this dependency. The man has been sick for 38 years, and he was there with all the other sick people. But because he could hardly move, he couldn’t get to pool ahead of the others, to be cured. He just badly needs help from the outside. And yes, he really needs help. Interestingly Jesus comes into the scene, sensing that this long-time-sick person is really needing help, and Jesus can readily offer that help, even more. But lo, Jesus doesn’t want to intrude one’s freedom and person. So he first asked the man, “Do you want to be well again?” He reasoned out, that he’s been trying all those years to be cured, but he thought he could only do it on his own, and no one could help him, so he failed many times.

But today Jesus, helps him get up. For the sick man, NO ONE before offered to help him, but then there is SOMEONE who comes along and heals him. So let’s only acknowledge before Jesus our helplessness and disabilities in many areas in our lives, then ask him to cure us…to let us immerse into the refreshing pool of his mercy, love, care and bounty.