Ahuv Sheli

One of the most difficult tasks  perhaps, is cleaning up one's room. I remember transferring to my brother's in 2014 to give way to my youngest sister who stayed with us for a while. My former room was assigned later on to my teenage niece when my sister got married and settled outside the country. I looked at my closet and I have bags and shoes which I could use until 2025. I have donated a huge amount of good clothes to a temple nearby but my things kept on growing... (me and the Diderot effect ).  I surmised I have given away but I have also doubled what I bought. The priest in an earlier homily challenged us to take a closer look on what we keep and challenged us to a life of interiority vs. superficiality.  It is a life that continuously chooses to 'create' space and give birth to Jesus...a life that seeks the 'needs' rather than the demands of this world... a life that gives rather than keeps. source: National Catholic Regi...

What if I come from a place of disillusionment? When I realize that my value is still based on worldly outputs and expectations..branded objects, sales and profits... Life is ruled by gain (sadly) even at the expense of other people.  Welcome to the rat race!  The short retreat we had was an invitation to reflect on our own eclipses...  The Recollection master, Fr. Bob Buenconsejo, SJ highlighted the three important figures of Advent through a Deisis triptych : St. John the Baptist, our Blessed Mother Mary and Jesus.  I was particularly struck by St. John the Baptist's experience of incompleteness...restlessness...his humility. He was cut off almost immediately from his ministry when Jesus came.  What if losing is the way to gain?  It hit me deep even if I already knew from studying Theology, why people ignore the Person Who gave Himself up on the cross.  He must increase, I must decrease (John 3:30). ...

I have decided to keep a Bible diary instead of an online journal for a while. But friends urged me to write and be a voice that can be "heard" now rather than continue pushing off a gift on hand~ in short, to go back to blogging. Know Thyself I felt a part of me crumbled when I trusted people in the outside world. For a year, I struggled with issues on 'privacy' and I decided to delete my FB account. I felt the need to disengage in interacting online ~ to check out these 'beasts' inside that required taming. I succumbed to work and had to give up my Saturday catechism to give way to the extras I accepted on my plate. Overworked, underpaid and extremely tired ~ discouraged that I still have not given ALL of myself to a work I really put my heart into... I begged the Lord to gift me with a 'listening' heart to hear and 'open' eyes  to see that the world around me is groaning with the same sentiments.   And the Lor...