On Friendship

" I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my FatherI have made known to you." - Jn. 15: 15

How good it is to know that someone calls you "friend" and sometimes treat you as his best friend. As a relational being, we tend to look for someone who could undestand and made us feel secure and happy. Jesus made known everything of Him to His disciples before considering them His friend. I repeat... EVERYTHING. Jesus' disciples witnessed how He wept from the death of a friend, how Jesus showed His anger at the temple and how Jesus told Peter "Go away from me Satan!". But His disciples remained still to their faith to Jesus. Whenever we experience conflict between our considered friends, it is only a part of discovering their personality. A part of gradual knowing of the totality of our friends. It is not yet the "EVERYTHING" of that person. What is important is the moment we have shared with them, the learning we get and the humility acquired from them. Friendship does not manifest only in being with each other or always updating each other. Like what Jesus’ disciples did when He ascended into Heaven, they continue to fulfill what Jesus want them to do and continue to show what they have learn and experience being a friend of Jesus. Nothing on earth will last forever. And friendship will only last depending on the person’s decision and free will. No one is to blame if that friendship will not end in good terms. It is up to us, after knowing everything from our friends, good or bad, if we will continue to accept them and soon call them our FRIENDS.

Longing for a relationship

They say, "man was created to be relational". From the start God created the world and all that was in it including us, man. God created the birds, land and sea creatures to accompany man but still he found no happiness until God created a woman out of man's ribs. God continued to relate to us even our first parents commited sin and be sent out from paradise.
My God! My soul is glad to feel that you are always there, waiting for me to relate with you, despite of my offenses and failings. I always seek guidance, comfort, love and affection from others not realizing that You are willing to give those things to me. I always look from others what is lacking in me to be filled not thinking that you alone can suffice me.

mY eVerYdaY baTtLe...

+ j.m.j.
July 14, 2009

Oh! My God! My soul is very glad to win every battle and temptations that comes to me. My soul is overflowing with your love and graces. How good it is to see myself in your side laughing at satan's defeat. Everyday will be a battle for evil. But after every battle, it is good to see my soul gloriously celebrating its victory with you my God.

Only for you my soul will be at peace, will be at safe. With every victory with you my soul finds freedom from sin. You alone can set me free. You alone can shield me. Standing tall with you, my God, will definitely defeat every temptation and sin.

pUriFy mY sEnsEs...

J.M.J.
Jun. 04, 2009

Oh! Purify my hearing that I may hear only your voice and be able to do your will. Let my ears always be attentive to your voice, to whatever you will say. Let my ears know your voice and never be gone astray. Let me hear the voice of my brethren calling for help. Guard me not to hear the voice of the evil persuading me and hindering me to hear and listen to you. Let my ears hear even your whisper and feel safe because you are near me.

Oh! My God! Purify my sight that I may see only your presence. Open my eyes to all the blessings and gifts you have given me. Let my eyes see your beauty and goodness. Fix my eyes to gaze only at you. Let me see the greatness of your creation. Purify my eyes and look only on things that will not harm my soul. Help me to see your presence to my brethren around me. Help me to look with them with kindness.

Oh! God! You know what is deep inside my heart. Purify my senses that I may free my soul in this body I have. Free my senses in every worldly desire. Let me smell the goodness around me. Let me taste the blessings you have showered upon me. Let me feel your love and care you have showed me.

How happy my soul will be, my God, after this purification. My soul desires You to control me. Work over me. Let me see what Your eyes would see. Let me hear what Your ears would hear. Let me feel what You would want us to feel. Let my soul thirst for your presence and taste only your goodness. O purify me, my God! Only You could suffice me.

to CO-EXIST...

J.M.J.
Apr. 20, 2009

There was one time a young lady approached me and asked me if she (or they) could co-exist with the other youth in the parish. She wanted me to think about the meaning of what she said…”TO CO-EXIST”.

I would like to share to everyone and to her what l read about “to co-exist”.
The vast majority of the poeple we see in our everyday life, at work, while travelling, in the marketplace, even in our neighborhhod, are people we do not meet except perhaps at a very superficial level. We just happen to “CO-EXIST” with them. By the way, here is a word that should never be used in the field of dialogue. To be in dialogue has nothing to do with co-existence. The aim of dialogue is not to co-exist! The tragedy of life is precisely that most people merely co-exist, even those who ought to have close relationships, such as immediate neighbors, colleagues at work and, especially married couples. One of my muslim friends upon hearing me voice my dislike for the word “co-existence”, proposed the word “pro-existence.” I like it: living for one another in life, not just side by side.

This is a learning that all of us should remember. This is a reality. We should know the very essence of our existence and of others. By acknowledging the presence of others is one way of acknowledging their existence.

maHirAp...pEro...

J.M.J.
Mar. 21, 2009

marami ang nagtatanong kung bakit ako ay nandito pa sa labas ng seminaryo…
marami ang nagtataka kung lumabas ba ako at hindi na muling babalik pa…
ang totoo…mahirap…
mahirap ipaliwanag…
mahirap magpaliwanag…
mahirap ipa-intindi…
at lalong mahirap maintindihan…

pero kailangan ko bang magpaliwanag at ipaliwanag?
pwede kong ipaliwanag at pwede ko rin hindi ipaliwanag. hindi rin naman ako obligadong magpaliwanag sa bawat magtatanong kung anong nangyari. mahirap kasi maintindihan at maunawaan ang mga pinagdadaanan at mga dapat pagdaanan namin kung gusto talaga naming tahakin ang tinahak ni Jesus. kailangan mong mamatay upang kunin ang panibagong buhay para lalo kang maging karapat-dapat na maging kanyang tagasunod.
mahirap pero sana maintindihan nila ang aming nararanasan at pinagdadaanan. mahirap humarap muli sa iba at iharap ang aming sinapit.

pero iisa lang ang nais kung iparating sa inyo…
ako po ay magpapatuloy sa paglalakbay… kung ako man ay tumigil ito ay sa kadahilanang kailangan kong magnilay kung kaya ko pang tahakin ang daan na lubhang puno ng misteryo at pangamba..kaya ko bang lumakad muli at suungin ang hirap ng pagsunod sa kanya…
alam ko na sa muli kong paglakbay…kayong mga nakakabasa nito ay tiyak ng handang magbigay ng lakas na simulan ang aking unang paghakbang…

aKo'y mAnaNatiLi...

J.M.J.
Feb. 17, 2009

“huwag mong naising lisanin kita, wala ‘kong hangaring ika’y mag-isa.”

matagal tagal na ring tayong magkalayo. nakakatakot sa mudong ginagalawan ko. nakakatakot na dumating ang araw ay hindi na ikaw ang laman ng puso’t isipan ko. nakakatakot na ako’y matukso at mawalay sa iyo. sa kalayaan na aking tinatamasa sa pagkakalayo sa’yo, gusto kong maramadaman mo na ako’y mananatiling tapat sa iyo. sisikapin kong iwaksi ang mga bagay na makapagpapalayo ng damdamin ko sa iyo.

inaamin kong ako’y minsa’y nakakalimot sa aking mga pangako. sana’y ako’y iyong mapatawad. alam kong ang puso mo’y lubhang nagdaramdam sa bawat kabiguan at panlilinlang na aking naidudulot. sana ako’y muli mong pagbigyan at ipapangako kong ako’y magiging tapat at sa iyo lamang. iniibig kita…ikaw lamang buhay ko… napakasarap gunitain ang alaalang tayo’y magkasama pa…hintayin mo ako…

kuLL oFf

J.M.J.
Feb. 16, 2009

whaaa!!! sobrang miss ko na siya…bakit kasi kailangan pa naming maghiwalay para malaman ko sa sarili ko na mahalaga siya sa akin…na siya ang buhay ko…ang mahal ko…ang hirap ng ganito…
araw-araw lagi ko siyang naiisip at inaasam na makasamang muli…ang tagal pa ng aking aantayin upang muli kaming magkasama…upang muli ko siyang makapiling…
cool off…? o regency? hehe…pareho lang sila…gusto ko nang kami’y magkabalikan at sisiguraduhin ko na sa muli namin pagsasama ay hinding-hindi ko na pahihitulutan na kami ay mawalay pa… ayoko ng ulit maranasan ang sakit at hirap na mawalay sa kanya…

siGe! uLan...

Sige! Bumuhos ka ulan!
Hugasan ang mundong makasalanan
Iiyak ang puso mong sugatan
Hanggang maubos, ng ika'y tumahan.

Sige! Bumuhos ka ulan!
Pati hangin mo'y 'yong iparamdam
Lamig nito'y sa amin manahan
Hipuin manhid naming katawan.

Sige! Bumuhos ka ulan!
Lakas mo'y tiyak iyong ilalaan
Luha mo'y tila hindi mapaparam
May hatid na lungkot at kasawian.

Sige! Bumuhos ka ulan!
Ibuhos mo nang may kalayaan
Lunurin ang buong kapaligiran
Itangay sa agos dungis nami't kasalanan.

Sige! Bumuhos ka ulan!
Sa pagtila mo sana may kahinatnan
May pansin nawa sa iyo'y naglaan
Upang ang iyong ginawa'y 'di masayang.