Whirl-wind, still alive

I'm alive. Whirl-wind.

Friendship.

[I read this article a while back and shared it with my youth group during adoration and here's my own reflection on it.]

When we have all died, and when the curtain of this world has finally come to a close; when we, though exhausted, finally makes to heaven's shore; and when God's face we finally see.  Won't we be glad that all of our friends are standing right there next to us.  Our buddies, our family, and our loved ones?  And I think it would be no surprise that those that were our friends but whom whether through circumstances beyond our control or through our own careless faults have drifted away or become awry should be there standing by our side, in their glorified bodies.

To desire otherwise, either we or our lost friends did not make it to heaven.  And would I not pray for my lost friends so that I may reunite with them in heaven?  Would I be so close of heart to desire someone to be not in heaven?  How does that merit heaven for me?  Nay I say!  And that's why I pray for all those that I've hurt and those that our friendship have withered due to various things, that if on earth they are unrecoverable, may God grant them the graces unbeknowest to me and the reunion finally in heaven.

Knowing that, I may move forward from all sorts of hardship and breakups or fall aways.  And knowing that, I move forward loving all my friends, and give them my best.

TMH

Blessing Untitled.

[I meant to have written this article for some time now, but the words just did not come to me. After the trialling times of the first half of this year, this is a abbreviated summary of my current state of mind, where my disillusions and hopes are intoned; be if of help to you, my dear reads, is my hope and prayer.]

Sometimes, blessings comes as a sure norm. They come from our friends and sources where we know that good will come. And it is often a joyous moment that levitates our spirit and heart. We know what they are: payday after a week of hard work; much needed sleep after three days of no sleeping working on projects; or simply a vacation from all the duties that we have to fulfill in our daily lives. But blessings also comes from unexpected and sometimes unnamed sources. These are the struggles that we go through, the trials and firefights of our lives, that sometimes show us indeed what we, and those around us, are made of. It brings to the forefront our very characters, our humiliating flaws, and our hopes for the day to come. And as Christians, all these trials and struggles witnesses to the world of the call to be perfect and to strife for the life eternal. To do our best and yet still fail sometimes, and to realize that by our prowess alone we cannot attain perfection. Only by the grace of God, Who through Christ strengthens us, may all be possible.

Untitled blessings are those trialling times that we cannot name at first when we are place, but only later to realize as a blessing. It may be a breakup with a friend; or lost of a parent; or failing of a class; or losing a job; or betrayals by people close to you; these and many more, we must receive with humility and open arms with all our might with unwavering resolve to work with. That is the Christian calling. To bear all things with faith, hope, and love -- that one day, our Might God will deliver us. And one day, we will behold His beautiful countenance in heaven, without fear and without shame. Knowing that even in trials, we forget not to praise our Heavenly Father's Name. Knowing that His angels and saints are praying for us, right behind us to comfort us and urges us to move forward. To stand back up and to move forward. To regroup after a failed offensive in battle -- knowing that this battle has already been won in eternity. Crying tears of pain and sorrow -- of loneliness and heartaches; of being lost and confused; and of fear and uncertainty -- but knowing that the arms of Jesus is ever here to embrace; to soothe us in that we might go forth and love and to serve all those we meet.

And to echo those words of our Lord and Master:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the Kingdom is theirs;

Blessed are sorrowful for they shall be consoled;

Blessed are the merciful for mercy shall be theirs;

Blessed are the pure of heart for they shall see God;"

No matter how big that pain is. No matter how much the lost is. And no matter how inconceivability of hope there be. There is hope. Like Lucy's whisper calling out to Aslan atop Dawn Threader. This hope is not something, but Somebody! And His Name is Jesus. Precious Jesus in the arms of our Blessed Mother, in whose youth the great "Yes" she said. In great love and faith, she embraced the One Hope that humanity has and will ever have -- God Incarnate -- to deliver us from this exile and this fallen state.

Therefore, the Church sings and proclaims in joy on Easter morn:

"O Happy Fault, O Necessary Sin of Adam, for which has won for us so great a Redeemer."

We, Christians, are an Easter people. Living in the hopes of the Resurrected Christ, Crucified Jesus, true God and true Man. For this new purpose that we live. Everything else is blessing poured forth upon blessing -- extravagantly overflowing. Such is the Love of God and such is our Hope.

So we rejoice with Mother Church, exalting in our triumphant victory by which death is handed its death knell whilst life triumphant. We are an Easter people. Our hope is in the Lord and let's help each other and remind each other of this Good News, of joy, of sorrow, of beauty, of pain, but of life everlasting.

TMH

N.B. Make no mistake about it, we are still human, and of our failings there will be many, known and unknown. Only with the help of the grace of God through the ministry of the Church, which Jesus instituted, may we follow a sure path to which the victory is won. That means picking up those of our mistakes and bearing those of other's faults and make life blossom in the field of time with lots of tears and songs.