As we grow older, and hence wiser, we slowly realize that wearing a $300. or $30.00 watch   - - - - - - -

they both tell the same time...

Whether we carry a $300 or $30.00 wallet/handbag - - - - - - -  the amount of money inside is the same;

Whether we drink a bottle of $300 or $10 wine - - - - - - - - - -  - - the hangover  is the same;

Whether the house we live in is 300 or 3000 sq. ft. - - - - - - - - loneliness is the same.

You will realize, your true inner happiness does not come from the material things of this world.

Whether you fly first or economy class, if the plane goes down - - - - - - --you go down with it...

Therefore..I hope you realize, when you have mates, buddies and old friends, brothers and sisters, who you chat with, laugh with,  talk with, have sing songs with, talk about north-south-east-west or heaven & earth, .... That is true happiness!!

    Five Undeniable Facts of Life :

1. Don't educate your children to be rich.

    Educate them to be Happy.

    So when they grow up they will know

    the value of things not the price.

2. Best awarded words in London ...

   "Eat your food as your medicines.

     Otherwise you have to

     eat medicines as your food."

3. The One who loves you will never leave you

     because even if there are 100 reasons

     to give up he or she will find one reason to hold on.

4. There is a big difference between

    a human being and being human.

    Only a few really understand it.

5. You are loved when you are born.

    You will be loved when you die.

    In between, You have to manage!

   If you just want to Walk Fast, Walk Alone!

   But if you want to Walk Far, Walk Together!

   Six Best Doctors in the World

    1. Sunlight

    2. Rest

    3. Exercise

    4. Diet

    5. Self Confidence and

    6. Friends

    Maintain them in all stages of Life and enjoy healthy life.

Sending you this with Smiles, Affection and Love !!

Excerpt From the New Year's Message of Bro. Bernie Oca, FSC 

Announcement:

Term 3 GOSPEL#1 Deadline is already over, that was Friday 12midnight (last night).  To those responsible students who complied, congrats for keeping and maintaining your good grades. May you remain diligent and responsible.  To those who didn't make it, better luck next time.  KNOW YOUR PRIORITIES and manage your time well.

DEADLINE#2 SEATWORK ON OVERVIEW OF HUMAN SEXUALITY, This Sunday 12midnight only, that's tomorrow guys.

How to Ask-a-Girl-to-Prom--in-a-Cute-Way

http://www.wikihow.com/Ask-a-Girl-to-Prom-or-Homecoming-in-a-Cute-Way

How- To-Take-a-Girl-to-Prom

How To Invite-a-Girl-to-the-Prom

Living out and Spreading the Word of God

by: Camilo De Guzman JI

Most of us do not really know what Jesus has done during his life. We all just remember of his miracles and different sermons that he would make, and gospels and parables. He has done so many things that we can not even fathom, that is how powerful He is. However in this gospel we see how He has not stopped in living and spreading the Word of God. He is God and yet He is still doing a peasant’s work for nothing, just to spread His word, and the word of His Father to people who may not even be listening or who don’t even care. So who are we to refuse Him or to refuse work or labour when our Lord is doing the same thing that we are asked of.

It is said that He is praised by all listened by all, but who of them do we know stood by Him in His crucifixion? Who stood by Him when He was brutally tortured and tried for things He did not do? Jesus knew these people would betray Him, or leave Him and let them hurt Him. However He did not care, He had hope for them. He had hope for their redemption and for their change of heart and longing for God’s word. He knew they would sin, sin against others and against Him; He still did not care. He loved each person there. He wanted to spread the Good News of His father, even if He knew it would land on deaf ears. But that is how much He loves us, He would put so much effort into helping us and loving us. He even talks in the passage of how He is the true God, how He is the true son of the Lord, yet what God proclaims their own being, their own being? People powerful do not have to tell people of their power and importance, but He does, because He knows of the skeptics and those who do not believe. He still hopes to help them, to guide them, even if there is no faith in Him. “Today the Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” Even if the word lands on deaf ears, it lands on ears that listen intently and take in the Word into their hearts and try to live it out in their very own lives. This is what Jesus means by the Scripture being fulfilled, because there is at least 1 person who has learned and who has been enlightened by the Scripture and the messages that Jesus has been spreading. He does it for those people who will listen, who will care and who will bring it into their lives.

In conclusion, we must listen to Jesus, listen to His word, listen to what He has to say. We may not be as lucky as the people in those time who got to listen to Jesus proclaim the Word himself, however we have so much access to it, so what’s our excuse to not listen and heed His teachings and His call. Do not let His efforts fall on deaf ears. Do not let Him trying be for nothing. Because He is doing this for you. He will not stop until you come back to Him and live with Him forever.

"Light of my Life"

"Light of my Life"

Luis Martinez, Junior - I

I believe that the gospel above is about God's word and how everyone responded. We should learn how to listen to these words of wisdom and we should put them to good use. Good deeds towards our neighbors, praying everyday and night, preaching are some among thousands of things we can do to live out the gospel. This is our true mission in life: to find new light for those in the dark, to help those who are in need, and to be the voice for those who have none.

At home, my parents always guide me about things that I have little knowledge about. They give me advice that would benefit me and the people around me. Just like in the gospel, by simply listening, we can make a difference. Our ears need to be open to new things and understandings that we can apply in our lives. This would strengthen our relationship with God and others. This year, I joined some orgs in school that would help me become a better person. I also did this to learn more about God and his teachings in a more fun and interactive way. I was able to meet new people who had the similar experiences as I had. The way the facilitators carried the solemnity of the retreat throughout its entirety while making it a worthwhile experience for me and others is really amazing. This could be a new way for modern day people to get closer to God and the community.

Now, I would like to encourage young minds to start their life mission as early as today. I believe this gospel acts as a wake up call for all of us to start opening up to new things. We should all act as a light that would brighten up the lives of the people around us. We must live in prosperity and harmony with them. After all, they are our brothers and sisters in Christ.

“Our Mission As Children of God”

“Our Mission As Children of God”

by Jeline Reyes of Junior I

Have you ever wondered what our true mission in life is? What the sole purpose of our being here on earth is? I asked myself the same questions while reading this gospel, and I’m glad I can say I found the answers while reading it as well. Nowadays, most of us are unaware of the goals we have to accomplish as Children of God. Moreover, a lot of us are ignorant of God’s call to us as His children. I believe that we must all be like Jesus in this gospel, fulfilling His duties as God’s son. Since we are God’s children as well, we are in His image and likeness, thus we must act like Him and attain the same plans and intentions as He did.

In the gospel, Jesus reads the prophecy then says, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” How I interpreted this was that what the passage says, must be applied in ‘our hearing’ — it must be manifested in our lives. We must live according to this passage, meaning we must follow and accomplish all goals and missions presented here, including Jesus’. Jesus’ missions were as follows: to bring glad tidings to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord. Our missions are not limited to this, however. I believe that our main mission as children of God is to proclaim, preach, and spread the Good News. Furthermore, we must be soldiers and instruments of the Lord in teaching and spreading love. Despite the goals we need to fulfill already being displayed in this scripture, the question that seems most daunting to me is why are so many of our brothers and sisters not fulfilling their missions? So many of us are ignorant and oblivious towards God’s call. In my opinion, we are like this because of our generation’s lack of faith, as well as the different objects in society that distract and further diminish our relationship with God. Due to these things, we also tend to feel ‘lost’, because we do not know our reason for being in this world. This is one of the reasons we must always pray and never lose faith, because in a shadow of doubt, loss, confusion, and fear, God and His love serves as our light, guiding us to hope and fulfillment.

I see this gospel as a call from God. Either we decline it, or accept it wholeheartedly. Some decline this call, but some simply do not hear it because they are too busy with less important things. This is why we must always listen intently — in mass, to God’s teachings and proclamations. By listening intently, we would able to answer and respond to God’s call immediately, therefore making us fulfill and achieve our goals with sincerity and commitment. As mentioned, we must be instruments of the Lord in spreading the Good News and being products of His undying love. We must always answer His call for us, continue embodying the gospel values in our lives, and continue changing lives through the fulfillment of our missions, because I believe that in doing so, we can truly show our love for God and attain eternal life.

God's presence

God's presence

BY: Grace Regis JI

This gospel has told us that God's words is still spread among us. Up to this day, people share God's word and they tell us what good he has done. Through this, us listeners and children are to remain faithful and believe cause the good news about God is real. By hearing this from the mass for example, you'll feel relieved that he does really exist and he is there to be our guide to the right path.

Nowadays during the mass, I'd see people enter the church by the time it's the sermon and there are people who tend to fall asleep during that time of the mass. I myself am one of them and for me, that's a way of disrespecting not only the priest but God himself. We only give 1 hour in our whole week for him so might as well listen as the good news is being told to us.

The gospel last Sunday made me realize that maybe God might not be right in front of us but his good news is proof of what good he has done upon each and everyone one of us. The best we can do is remain faithful and to always pray. Since we have the Internet with us, we can use this to spread the good news especially now that one by one, there are people our there losing faith and maybe through this, we can help them and tell them that God is indeed there.

God's Phone Call

God's Phone Call 

Made by: Job Andre M. Mingoa of Junior I CN: 25

One of the most common things that we have that most of us could not live without (sadly, according to many of us here) is the cellphone. Before, it was just something we use for calling and texting people we know. Now we use it to do things beyond calling and texting such as playing games, knowing the time, setting our plans, taking photos, and even aid us in our health and lifestyle. However, have you ever tried answering a call coming from Him? If yes, what was your answer? That's what the Sunday Gospel was all about.

What is God's call? That, I can't answer that for you. Each of us is made special, and with us being special, the tasks He asks of us varies. To know more about God's call, be silent, for you will hear Him the greatest when there is silence. However, one of them, I can say, and maybe it would go something like this, "Would you spread the Good News?" In Luke 1:1-4, it's a prologue which for me seems to be like the author of chapter Luke. My guess is that the author talks of his inspiration which is Jesus' deeds and works. He even acknowledged eyewitnesses and the ministers of the word. As we can recall, the bible is a compilation of works by authors chosen by God to spread the Good News. Back then, there was no written copy of the Good News. It was just spread by word of mouth. Lucky for us, there's a written copy of the Good News which is called the Holy Bible. How can we tell if there are no errors in it? Simple, the authors had divine inspiration which helped them make their work and slip through language barriers. Now how is this related to us? Take a look at the people who came before us. Among them is the author of Luke who decided to put the Good News into writing. If we go further back, prophets, priests, and some kings have spread the Good News in their own way. Now let's look at the present. Numerous lay people, ministers, priests, pastors, and religious leaders continue to share the Good News with us. But they're lay people. Isn't it really their job to do so. Well, you do have a point. It's their vocation. However, did you know that it's also our job to help share the Good News? If you closely pay attention when we celebrate the Eucharist, the priest would always tell us to go and spread the Word. Question is, do we do it? Do we let the Word pass through one ear and let out through the other? That's God's call to us. It has always been since the time we were baptized. We share in Christ's three-fold mission as a king (a servant-leader), a priest (a healer), and a prophet (a proclaimer), and these were strengthened in our confirmation, so it should be high time for us to start.

At this point, let's take a look at part 2 of the Gospel — when Jesus started His ministry. Even though the words that came from Him were truthful and pure, the people of Nazareth drove him out of his own home. Unbelievable, right? Isn't that ironic even in today's generation? Even until now, we still reject the truth. That's why none of us are even barely happy unless you're one of the few who have attained spiritual enlightenment. Some people even end up becoming crazy just by avoiding the truth that they don't want to face. Like what happened to Jesus, it happens to us too. Take my case. As much as I want to help communicate with people, I always felt ignored. No matter how many times I try, I always end up being the minority. It just hurts me to think that people need me, yet they just insult me and make me feel bad about myself in the end whether they're aware of it or not. However, was Jesus ever disheartened by his hometown's rejection? I'd answer that by spelling N-O! Back when the authors of the bible such as Luke's author were making their works which will soon make the Holy Bible, did they ever stop despite the persecutions against them? N-O! That's why if we say "Yes!" to God's call, there's no going back, and even if there's no going back, that's not a valid excuse for us to back out, for God has done many things for us. The greatest ones were sending down His own Son and letting Him die on the cross for our salvation. What more could we ask for?

That's why, in conclusion, we must not be afraid to proclaim what we know is right even if it kills us. One suggestion where we can proclaim is through social media. Corrupted as most of it is, I believe we can make a change that will change a network full of hatred and vanity. Instead, will turn to a network which will connect everyone's hearts and souls. Now the question is: will you answer God's phone call? How? The answer to that lies in you, and the way you'll express it will be seen through your actions. You know what they say, "Actions are louder than words."

True Chastity, video#5

Intro Video#4: Human Sexuality and Chastity

MISSION ON

BY: Michael Balmes JH 5 

The gospel shows that we have a purpose from God and that we should preach the word of God so that everyone will be filled with God and His pressence. The Gospel also shows what Jesus did in Earth as the Son of Man. 

The Gospel speaks about how we should fulfill our mission as followers of Christ. We were all put in this world to do our destiny which was given to us by God. As we do this then we are fulfilled. 

What is fulfillment? For me it is being able to do what you are assigned and after you will be fulfilled. In conclusion, Jesus was also sent to Earth to do His mission which was to save the world and spread the Gospel. Jesus was a great preacher of Gods word and He also saved us from sin by dying on the cross. And as Christians we must follow the way of God by preaching the Gospel.   

"Jesus is our Light"

"Jesus is our Light"

by: Alyssa Abad Jr-E

The gospel according to Luke talks about Jesus proclaiming God's word to the people. In the gospel, Jesus was handed a scroll that talked about how Jesus healed people physically and spiritually. He also states that the certain scripture that he has read has been fulfilled. Jesus is our Lord and savior and yet He remained humble and had complete trust in the Lord. No matter how many trials and difficulties Jesus goes through, he would still obey God. The fact that Jesus isn't even proclaiming God's word for himself makes him even more humble because he knows that when we hear about God's teachings, we will be able to reach salvation.

This gospel showed me that as humans, we must remain humble no matter what. We must also have strong faith in the Lord in order for us to reach salvation. I believe we must follow Jesus's footsteps and proclaim the good news. We must also remain faithful to our God. Nowadays, people pray once or twice a day. Some people even just pray only when they need God not when they want to thank Him. In the generation today, people are blinded by material things and forget what really is important. We must keep in mind that we have a job to do which is to spread the word our God and help those who are blind regain sight of what is important. One real life example is the evangelical missions my church does. In these missions, we proclaim God's word and spread the good news. We open the minds and hearts these people and preach what Jesus taught us.

In conclusion, we must always remember to put God first no matter what we're doing. We should never neglect his teachings. This gospel tells us to open our minds and hearts when we listen to His teachings. Through this, not only will we feel God's holy presence within us but we will be able to spread the goodness.

Spread the Good News!

BY:Sofia Lamberte J-E CN: 23

Spread the Good News!

This gospel acts as an overture to Jesus' ministry and how Luke entails through these passages an introduction to how empowering Jesus can be simply because he is powered by the Holy Spirit. Most importantly, it tells of how he continues to spread the Good News across nations and how he continues to preach amidst challenges. To me, I believe that this is a lesson we should all know and follow by heart.

During the chunk of this gospel, with the part where he tells of the people in the synagogue that the Spirit of the Lord is with him, I felt deeply moved as he proclaims how he stands strong with the power of the Holy Spirit and how he has been brought to this world to free us all from our wrongdoings. He goes on to say that he has been anointed to recover sight to the blind, free captives from their prisons, etc-This further exemplifies his determination and will to be the bearer of God's name and word to all of us living here on Earth. He has been brought down by God in order to right humankind's wrong and to reach out to the poor and marginalized sectors of our society. While he does such acts, not only does he come to rid people of their miseries, but he comes to teach people to do and follow what is right. It is his aim to serve and love for God and he wishes all of Galilee to do the same. In reflection, I believe that this was the core message exhibited by this very gospel: that no matter who we are, we are all brought together for a purpose, and that purpose is to spread the Good News and to become empowered by the Holy Spirit in committing acts that further strengthens us in spirit. In real life there come judgments and prejudices from people of many kinds, and that's what makes the whole world divided, but with people who have the initiative to make a move, these people are certainly commendable with their act. People who join in outreaches and community groups that express their concern and help to oppressed members of society, just like how we Lasallians do, is one way to exercise the focal theme of this gospel. Truly, it is an act that must be practiced and done with heart and that we show our utmost sense of change for the better.

This gospel aims to inspire people of today to continue bringing God's works into our everyday lives. It serves as a calling to stop doing and thinking what is wrong and instead work together on what is right and good for all. Like Jesus, let us all be empowered by the Holy Spirit and gain the initiative to spread love and righteousness to communities that are deprived of such necessities today.

ENLIGHTEN & INSPIRE

BY: Shanen Bautista, Junior E (Cn4)

ENLIGHTEN & INSPIRE

In this gospel given to us from Luke, it talks about how Jesus is still able to spread the word of God wherever he goes. It showcases how he believes and trusts in the Lord that He will always guide him through his journey of spreading the word of God and in fulfilling God’s mission. Through this, he is able to know what to do and that is what he gives on to the people of each town. Even though, he lives in a small hometown and is merely a son of a carpenter; he does not take that as an excuse from enlightening people to have a stronger faith in our Lord.

I personally admire the message of this particular gospel this week since it is something that all Catholics can take upon in their everyday lives. It reminds us that we are here on this Earth to be able to apprise to people who our God is and fulfill our missions as soldiers of Christ. A great comparison can be shown from us and from Christ since even He, as the Son of God, is not even exempted in spreading the mission and message of God to our fellow brothers and sisters. It can even be observed that Jesus is aware that he knew what his purpose here on Earth was and through that, he was able to enlighten a lot of people. Another point that is also evident in this gospel is that your faith and the amount of work that you do for our God is not based on your social class in society since earlier I mentioned that, even Jesus who was merely a son of a carpenter was able to inspire thousands and thousands of people to be able to believe and trust in our God.

Through this gospel, I can say that we should be more willing to spread and fulfill the word of God in our everyday lives and not only when we remember to do so. We should remember that this is the mere fact on why God put us on this Earth and why he sent is only son to walk on this land with us and that is to inspire and enlighten more people to have faith in Him. Lastly, I believe that the message of this gospel is something that we should really reflect and take on as Catholics.

"The Mission of Many"

BY: Errol Uy JF

"The Mission of Many"

Has there ever come a time in your life where you ask yourself, "Why am I here?" You feel like you hardly know the purpose of your life, and why you were sent here in the first place. We see so much people who feel the same, yet they are contented with their lives. This is because they live the mission of God. Every single one of us was hand-picked by God in order to live. Not everyone has a chance at life, so we have to live life as Jesus lived his.

On July 2015, I was given the opportunity to join Youth For Christ. Not a lot of people are given this opportunity, so we must be thankful for whatever we receive. I interpreted this as a calling. God was reaching out to me, trying to tell me something. He saw a lost soul that needed guidance, and he was willing to lead the way. Before I joined YFC, I remember being the person who was always late to mass, the person who kept talking and playing. He wanted me to become better, and for me to put my faith in him. I experienced so much good things on the weekend of my camp. I learned how to be more faithful and to walk on earth as a servant of God. We must all aspire to be like Him, living as guides and servants of God. We must continue to carry on His mission, for others to be reunited with him.

This gospel basically talks about being given a mission and fulfilling it. Like Mother Mary, she did not hesitate at all. She was willing to stand by His side no matter what happens. An act of true faith helped her to fulfill her mission. We must see this in our daily lives. We have to be like Mary, entrusting all our faith so that we may also accomplish our missions here on earth.

“Jesus Christ Fulfills”

BY: MARIANO, MAGGIE // JG

“Jesus Christ Fulfills”

In this gospel, we are told of how Jesus Christ fulfilled and continues to fulfill what is written in the scriptures. God whispered the words in the Bible and someone would write it down—the scriptures were a literary form of the messages God had imparted on us. These were the stories that documented the lives of the people God had chosen, and the events that had created something worth telling, The scriptures were stories that foretold the coming of the savior: Jesus Christ.

Saint Luke mentions how these scriptures have been compiled the narrative of the events that lead to the one who came to fulfill them all. When Jesus opens up the scroll and reads out the passage, he announces to them how while in their hearing, the scriptures had just been fulfilled. This reminds me of when I was given the opportunity to sacrifice my time and efforts to those who needed it the most: the ones who were lost, the ones who had the least and the ones who have been thought of the last. Because I was born with the simple privileges others were not fortunate enough to attain, we usually do not realize how much we are fortunate to have. With all the outreaches and retreats I have given the opportunity to be part of, like Jesus Christ, I fulfill the passage.

I believe that the Spirit of the Lord is upon each and everyone of us and that we are all anointed to bring glad tidings to the poor. We cannot make miracles: we cannot bring sight to the blind, but through our own ways we let the oppressed go free and we proclaim liberty to those who have been held captive. If we continue to treat others with kindness, regardless of their social status, race, gender or religion—we will proclaim not just a year that is acceptable to the Lord, we will proclaim an eternity that is more than what is expected. If we continue to go in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, we will fulfill the passage.

"God's Representatives"

"God's Representatives"

By: Jonathan Gonzalez Junior I 18

The gospel last January 24, 2016 talks about how God chose us and gave us gifts in order to spread the gospel. But this gospel is special as it shows that people tend to turn away from God as his expectations may seem far too extravagant and unreachable. This results in us neglecting the gifts of God and only reflecting on what harm has been done to us, thus separating us from God even more. Why is this the case though? Why do people often remember what bad has happened rather than the good that they have received? Even if we know our faith alone is enough to lead us to the right path, people still choose to neglect it as it seems impossible and unreliable in today's life. But this is not the case, as God has planned everything for us and if followed, will assure us a spot beside him.

First of all, let us start with why people tend to neglect what is good. Well, with relation to this, it can be proven people tend to remember fears and bad time more because it activates the amygdala and other parts of the brain, which are used for emotional processing. This alone explains why people are always so negative about life, and how they are not stepping up from what bad has happened to them. I am an example of one of these people, as I suffer from minor anxiety problems, which results into the worst nights of my life when I try to reflect on what has happened through out the day. being a Catholic, this sometimes results in me blaming God for making me for who I am and what has happened to me, which makes me neglect prayer, fall asleep during masses, and alike. This is because human emotion has a great impact on how you react to stimuli, which results into how you grow as a person, spiritually, emotionally and physically. On the contrary, let me tell you this, God has never abandoned us, nor planned bad things for us. Think about it, when you experience something bad, in most cases, people are there to comfort you, to help you and to cheer you up. This is what God's work is, and is like a reward for believing in him, even if it is a tiny amount, as a person's faith will save them from all injustices in the world. This also applies to me, because as a sickly child, it is always worst after worse when it comes to sicknesses, but there are always my parents, and my brother there to treat me when I am sick, people who represent God in their own likely ways. In the gospel last 24th, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” means that simply being there when God calls you, will bring you closer to him, as you tried even a little to go back to him, no matter how hard it is. Even after all the hardships, you still found the courage to step back in his doorstep and ask for forgiveness, and slowly, our hearts will start remembering everything good that happened to us, which will overpower all the bad times we have experienced.

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord." is a message of service to others and to be an image of God to others. This gospel talks about how we can be an image of him to others, and how others can also be an image of him to us. Again, remembering, we are simply 1 in 7,000,000,000 other people in the world, but the ONE good thing that you do, can lead others to turn away from what is bad, and start to do what is good.

Year Acceptable to the Lord

JULIA BRAGO -- JUNIOR E

Year Acceptable to the Lord

In this Gospel, it tells us the truth about how Jesus Christ really lived his life; from his life, to teaching, to his death and resurrection. He came down on Earth in human form to get involved with His people. He wanted to create a union between God and His people. Needless to say, not all of them were blessed with everything they need. Why? So that we can learn to humble ourselves and reach out to Him, but not just when we need Him. Sometimes, what we need are not physical materials but rather, his grace and mercy. Christ is so generous that even if we are imperfect, he still gives and provides for us. As mentioned in the Gospel, “He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.” We do not have all the time in this world to prove that we deserve to have Him in our life, neither do have all the time to keep in contact with Him.

Jesus finds so many ways to speak us even without us knowing. Through the sacraments, the Scriptures, and even the hardships we encounter in life, Jesus is seeking out to us because He wants to know that He is just there for us. There was a point in my life where I needed a miracle because time was very rough, I did not know whom to turn to. When I scrolled down on my phone’s notification center, I saw the bible passage of the day and it said “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.” (Jeremiah 29:13-14) This passage helped me get by and overcome what I was dealing with

We should be thankful that the Lord became man because it deepened our relationship with Him. He invites us to follow Him and He’s just waiting for us to accept it. We should attempt to discover him more as each day passes by.

Being Like Jesus

Rosina Jose JE CN: 21

Being Like Jesus

The Catholic faith is one which is often taken for granted, and the practice of Christian beliefs is slowly fading. Even as followers of Christ, we often forget to thank and praise Him, as well as spread His Good News. The Gospel of Luke reminds us that not only must we know the Scripture, but we must also live it out. We must carry out what we learn in the Eucharistic celebrations which we attend, because once we do this, we will be inspiring others as well as rekindling their faith in the Lord. In the Gospel, we are also reminded of Jesus' power and authority. However, even with all his might, he still chooses to help those who are less fortunate than him. This reading is also a beautiful one due to the fact that Jesus acknowledges that he is the Anointed One, yet he still devotes his entire being into being a servant to others.

There must have been times wherein we were ashamed of ourselves, may it be because of physical appearances, race, religion, and the like. However, Jesus reminds us, not only in this Gospel but also in other Scriptures, to be proud of who we are since we are made in God's image and likeness. The Gospel according to Luke tells to always be like our Christ, because he is the epitome of all that is good, just like his Father. Once we act like him, we will attain true happiness. Being like Jesus — being proud of our faith, preaching His Word everywhere without shame, and being of help to others — is what Christianity is all about. Being like Jesus is also what the Gospel is about. The evangelist, Luke, tries to convey his message that we can be even better followers of Christ when we live out the Good News, and when we take it to heart so that our relationship with the Lord may also grow deeper.

In short, the Gospel showed us that Jesus was not afraid to go around and spread the Good News, and as his disciples, we should follow his footsteps as well. This reading also imparts the message which tells us to be proud of our faith regardless of what others may think of it and regardless of the persecutions we may or may not receive.

“Words Are Meant to Be Shared”

Lance G. Estopen, JE 16

“Words Are Meant to Be Shared”

We live in a world where our everyday lives are always posted in social media. We keep posting and spreading what is happening in our lives and to all of us this has become a norm, a norm which actually is not healthy. This is related to the gospel because the gospel talks about spreading God’s word but in today’s word we spread pictures of our food, where we are, etc, and to God this does not matter what we should really be sharing to the world is His word to all of us.

Jesus was sent here to our world because our ancestors were pretty stubborn when it comes to following God’s law. Jesus mission was to spread his Father’s word and He did this with the help of his disciples. When Jesus died He transferred this mission to spread God’s word to us, His disciples. I believe that we should follow this mission, for I know we were created for that sole purpose to be stewards and messengers of Christ. One real life experience I can give you of fulfilling that mission to spread God’s word is what Sir Cloyd is making us do every CL time which I believe is a big step in teach Lasallians how to fulfill His mission. Instead of the normal gospel reading plus teacher greet before CL starts, sir Cloyds has asked us to share or give a brief homily in conjunction with the Gospel read. This is a very very good practice since we are already sharing God’s word and it comes out straight from our hearts.

We are merely messengers and stewards of this world but we will be rewarded when Jesus Christ comes again that is why starting now we should be spreading His word so others will start doing the same and the world will be a batter place because God’s words is dwelling in all of us. Spread God’s word in as simple ways as you can is what the gospel right now wants to tell us. No matter how big or small step you take in fulfilling your mission of being a prophet that is already a big thing for God. Words are meant to be shared most importantly, God’s word.

"Fulfillment in Service"

by: Zoie Garcia JF

"Fulfillment in Service"

After reading the gospel, it has come to me that I was put on this earth for a reason. To know what I must do, and to follow in the path of God, I must first fully understand His orders and listen attentively to His word.

Reading the gospel helped me realized that I was put on this earth to not just fulfill his task for me, but his task for others. We must know that we were not created just to care about only ourselves. We must learn to do things for others as Jesus did. We will be able to follow in God's path if we think about what others need, not just what we need. We must learn to be open minded, responsible, and especially generous, so we may show how thankful we are to the Lord for creating us. A few years back, I helped give out relief goods to those affected by the typhoon. After the activity, I felt very emotionally satisfied, and it showed me that doing service for others will make us happy in the long run. After that, my faith in God grew greater and stronger.

In summary, I believe that to show God that we are thankful for everyone he has done (and is doing) for us, we must return the favor by serving others. We must learn to be selfless enough to live and follow in God's desired path for us.

"Unrolling of Truths"

"Unrolling of Truths" by Sean Aguinaldo, JF

“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” — these were the last words that I have encountered in this week's gospel. You might be wondering why I have named the title "Unrolling of Truths"; Well, it isn't a long story actually. After finishing this passage, I felt like I've been introduced into a new perspective of life. I felt like I have discovered the true meaning on why I was brought to this world. To furthur introduce this reflection, I would like to emphasize the fact that this week's gospel truly helped me understand the things I need to conduct as a child of God — and I hope that the gospel would be the same for you.

There was a time when I felt so alone and unloved. A time when I felt like nobody was by my side and that I had no one behind my back besides myself — but I thought wrong. During that time, I realized, "who cares what other people think about me?" I thus gained a bigger understanding on the fact that these ungrateful people are not the only people living in this planet and that I should lean towards people who are willing to share some sense of optimism with me. To incorporate it with the gospel, the saying "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor." has truly caused me to develop a new belief. A belief that I will absolutely cherish and follow for the rest of my life. Looking back at my past, here I am today contemplating on the fact all this time, I was not alone. I now realized that even when I was inside my mother's womb, the Lord's spirit was living inside of me; and now that I'm all grown up, I must fulfill what the scripture wants me to do — and that is to bring glad tidings to the poor.

On the whole, this gospel has opened more productive opportunities that I must fulfill in this life that the Lord has given me. I was brought to this world in order to help the needy and make them feel worthy of living here. I do believe that through this gospel, I must spontaneously be a good living citizen of Earth by showing my love and care to every person here on Earth. Regardless of age, gender, or race — each and every one of us have the Spirit of the Lord living inside of us, and we must attain the important duties that the Lord wants us to fulfill. We must forget about ourselves for a moment, and use the Spirit of the Lord inside of us through giving glad tidings to the poor and setting them free from oppression.

Food for the Soul

 by: Ashley Avecilla JF

Food for the Soul

What does it mean to live a fulfilling life? How do we as a culture define it, or even as individuals? From what I know of, most have a specific goal in life — they want a particular career or a particular job. For others, however, fulfillment means a level of material security rather than career-oriented success . Family, friends, community are all measures of fulfillment as well, and for some, even hobbies get thrown into the mix.

I wouldn't be writing this reflection at this moment if it weren't for the experiences I have gone through as a student. In freshmen year and the years before that, I was not really the best student. Not that I'm saying I'm the perfect student today, but my experiences then have shaped me into the person I am today. I knew I had untapped potential inside of me which was just waiting to be used for the better, and I discovered my talent in graphic design. Everything good happened to me all at once. I excelled with flying colors; people today may think I'm naturally adept at this, but no! It took hard work and dedication to be the best at what I do. I still have so much to learn.

I had everything I wanted, yet, why didn't I feel totally fulfilled? I knew I had it pretty good on all fronts. I strived for perfection, but it's never enough. As humans, we always fall short, because God created us to be flawed. Material wealth, good careers, creative hobbies, and a large social network of family and friends can fill most of that yearning for perfection most of the time, and all of those are blessings for which we should be grateful for. But they still do not provide the complete fulfillment for which we are made for. This gospel is about this yearning, of our desire to achieve complete fulfillment. It reminds us of the spiritual yearning we have as well, and why the Gospel at its essence is a message of good news from God. It's food for the soul. Perfection cannot be attained with our talents alone -- but it can be attained through the grace of Jesus Christ.

"New Light"

by: Nicole Tanjutco JF

"New Light"

In the mass I attended last week the pastor asked those an important question, How do you embody the scriptures at a time like today? I thought to myself, How do i embody Christ? Do i truly show his teachings as I reflected I realized that we must fulfil the teachings of the Lord.

Once i felt undeniably alone, everything felt difficult, but the Lord brought me to light, he taught me to have faith because in faith we know what love truly is. This faith drove me to see God in a new light, to see that God will never abandon me and never leave me; That God is love, and through it all God will be here for us. God teaches us to follow in his scriptures because through this we achieve solace and through this we learn the goodness of humanity and what drives another to do this.

In conclusion, God teaches us to follow and live in his scriptures because as we follow in his word we bring it to light in countlesbs ways, these teach us how to do more good as a person and as a community. In following his scriptures we see what is true, as well as what is right.

"Believe"

"Believe"

Tony (Antonio) Ramos J-H

"So that you may realize the certainty of the teachings you have received" Is how St Luke decides to teach the word of the Lord in his own words. It shows his clear goal to show as much detail as he could in the studies of Christ. In a way to clarify everything that Jesus said, probably in his own words. St Luke shows us how Jesus directly let every know that he was indeed the chosen one of God.

Its sections of the Bible like these that truly point out some things we miss in life, it shows how Jesus was perfect, even in human form. He was showing in a way how he was going to save everyone, I think knowing what you have to do brings out the real goal determining factor all people should have. Jesus was someone who could be compared to the perfect example of perfection. Gospels like these just show how much Jesus so honest with his goal to save everyone. In my own life I find it difficult to believe in myself and that God is giving me strength, I am oblivious to the fact that free will is a factor. One time I expected God to show me a sign, without work at all, I didn't receive the sign and eventually waiting it out made things worse. Personally Jesus is an example of someone who should be honest and straight with themselves.

In summary, I think Jesus is a perfect role model for any human being, its truly impressive how this one man (and God) could be as wise with words as he was, he further shows his effort by giving us an example of inspiration and possibility, by just believing in oneself.

"FULFILLMENT"

Armando Reyes JH

This gospel is telling us that during the time that Jesus was here,he was given a mission and a task by God to spread the good news to everyone and proclaim his name so that we could be blessed,anointed,and forgiven.And in this gospel Jesus started fulfilling his mission by spreading the good news to everyone in the synagogue,and this is an example which we should follow because starting that day that the people heard the good news,the task or mission of Jesus automatically gets passed on to us which we fulfill by spreading and passing it on to others.

One of the main point of this gospel is fulfillment,fulfillment for me is being able to achieve and get the things we want through hard work.I believe that we don't get everything we want easily,we have to work for it no matter how hard things get because that is one of our true purposes in life which is "for us to earn something we must work hard and we must truly deserve it".But we mustn't only work for the things we want,we also have to work hard to be able to help and contribute to everyone around us just like what jesus did where he suffered and accepted all the painful things they did to him,not for his benefit but for the benefit of us being saved from our sins.For me the feeling of being able to get something and help someone because you worked hard and truly earned it is better than you getting something just because you want it and you are capable to get it without doing anything. And this is why I believe that fulfillment is basically working hard both for yourself and everyone around you which benefits everyone and at the same time gets you closer with God.

So in conclusion this gospel talks about fulfillment and how we should follow the steps of Jesus because one day these two things are the thing that would help us move forward,go on with our lives,and walk towards the right path.So the message of this gospel to us is the way to fulfill something and follow Jesus is by putting hard work before everything else and using hard work to help everyone around us.

"Goals and Aspirations"

  "Goals and Aspirations"

Tala Gil - JH - 12

We all have goals and aspirations even though we don’t see them yet. When we have no goals, it somehow makes us feel like we have no purpose in life, which is not a good feeling. It can make us feel lazy and unmotivated to do good when in reality, we should channel that negative energy into something productive. There is something that feels absolutely amazing when we finally fulfil a goal and influence others to do productive actions too.

From what I understood from this gospel, it gave a clear message on what Jesus’ goals were and what he did in order to achieve them. Personally, I’d like to believe that this scripture was written to help others be motivated to work for their goals just like Jesus Christ did - with hard work and genuine care. He did all that he could to spread the word of the Lord (our Father) to the general public wholeheartedly. As Christians, we are encouraged and expected to apply those teachings to our daily lives so that we can inspire others to be more Christ-like as well. We must focus on being the group of people who make others happy with our presence.

To be completely honest, I was quite confused when I first read this gospel. After reading it several times and reflecting, though, I was able to somehow find a clear connection and message from this gospel and relate it to real life. We are all born with a purpose just like Jesus Christ was. We all have goals and aspirations that may not be clear to us just yet, but with proper guidance and care, our path will unfold soon enough. It is just up to us to figure that out.

"More than Words”

"More than Words”

By: Lynux Ansay JI 3

Due to boredom in class, I usually find myself staring and spacing out; especially just after a long discussion. The thing is: most of the teachers give their homeworks in this time. Being unfocused as I am, I always have no idea that a homework was given. So I am grateful for our president, Job Mingoa, who always takes the liberty to post all reminders online. This little thing that he does is something that has helped everyone in our class a lot. This action is really very selfless and something I truly admire. I actually see Job as Jesus in the Gospel of Luke 4:14-21. In this gospel, we could see how Jesus embodied scripture by proclaiming the Good News.

In the Gospel given, Jesus said “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” This has a deeper meaning to it. Jesus explicitly states “in your hearing”, the scripture does not end with Jesus proclaiming the good news it is actually about us applying it in real life. Unfortunately, most of the time God’s word often falls on deaf ears. Every Eucharistic Celebration there are few who are just chatting, and texting, most of us do not even listen. But are we going to allow the good news to end there? In our own little way, we have the ability to manifest scripture and spread the good news. By being a concrete example of God’s love just like Job, we are putting God’s word into action. If you help your brother with his assignment, if you lend a pen to your classmate, if you give to the poor, if you correct and forgive other people’s sins, then you are fulfilling what God anointed us to do. Love thy neighbor. The best way we can spread the good news is by being examples of what it means to be a true Christian.

I believe that as Christians we should be ministers and ambassadors of Christ in our own way. Just like in the One La Salle Prayer, “we should be the change that we want to see”. We should spread the good news through our very own actions and take the matters into our own hands to continue what Jesus had started. Through this, we embody Christ himself with our lives.

“Our Duty as His Servants”

By: Janella Varias, Junior I

Frederick E. Owen Jr. once said “We were not put on this Earth to be ordinary.” However, what must we do in order for us to stop being “ordinary?” In my opinion, I believe that we must be just like God. Although God is perfect and we are not, we can be like Him in so many ways. I encountered a pregnant beggar on the road, who was selling small rags, a couple of days ago. I pointed the woman to my mother, who I remember told me that she badly needed new cleaning equipment for the house. We wanted to help the pregnant woman so we bought all of her rags. She thanked us and before leaving, I saw teardrops running down her face.

As stated in the gospel, Jesus reminds us to bring glad tidings to the poor. Our duty as God’s servant is to help meet the basic needs of the marginalized. Last year, 2015, was “The Year of the Poor.” Instead of buying lavish and luxurious things for ourselves, we could have helped the poor by buying them food to eat, showing compassion by donating old clothes, etc. However, being poor doesn’t necessarily mean that you lack shelter, food and clothing. It can also mean being poor in happiness, companionship, and love. In order to feel God’s presence in our lives, people will come to teach us a lesson. I believe the woman who was selling rags, was a reminder for my mom and I that we must open our hearts and always lend a helping hand to the needy. We hope that we made the woman happy and was able to see Christ in her life despite all the troubles and hardships she is facing.

We are all called by God to spread His word. Our mission is for people to see Christ in our small little acts of love. This challenge was given to us so that we will be able to strengthen our relationship with Him. By sacrificing time to help others, we wouldn’t know it, but God will surely reward us soon because He is happy that we are doing things that are pleasing to His eyes. As Lasallian students, we can incorporate the 10 C’s in our lives, and in doubt, our lives will instantly become better because these values help us to become more like God.

Let go and let God

Let go and let God

Beatrix Longa JI

Everyone has their own goals and fulfillments in life, and so did Jesus. He just wanted what was good for everyone. He accepted everyone despite everything that happened to him. What he did for us, was a sacrifice, which gave us the gift of life. Jesus gave everything he had to all of us human beings, and that’s what we should do to. We are all God’s children. We are all followers of Christ therefore, we must do what Jesus wants us to do-we must follow his teachings and spread God’s love.

How often do we stop and think about how blessed we are for having the gift of life? How often do we thank God for everything he has given us? In my opinion, we are not giving enough. When Jesus was resurrected, he preached to everyone and spread the good news. He helped the poor and the sick. There are many people out there who are in need of great help. They have no food to eat, or a place to sleep in. Yet sometimes we complain about how we don't get things our way. Faith and thankfulness is something we lack. So much people nowadays tend to just go on with their lives and don't think about the lord and others. In fact, a great number of people, including myself, wouldn't appreciate his gifts for us, but think we should put a stop to this. This gospel opens up your mind and tells you that we should care and help for others and fulfill what God wants us to do. It is a reminder that we are his children and have our own job to do. We are in God’s image and likeness therefore we must be like him and committed.

When listening to the word of God, your mind comes with great realizations. This is proof that God gives us an open mind and that he will always be there for us. If he is always there for us, we should always be there for Him. In the gospel it said that lord is upon us and he anointing to bring good tidings to the poor which is exactly what I think we are all called to do. My words would be to let go and let God.

Turning Back and Coming Back

Turning Back and Coming Back

By Tiffanie Bejar, JI

As humans, it is natural that we grow up. We are taught values and we learn how to act through being with other people. As years pass, problems become more serious and sometimes, we tend to turn away from the Lord. Even though this happens, God always helps us out. He helps through our friends and family comforting us or maybe through a kind gesture from a stranger even though we push these people away sometimes. In this Gospel reflection, I will talk about turning back and coming back as a better person.

“He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up,

and went according to his custom

into the synagogue on the sabbath day.”

The first thing I think of when I hear the synagogue on sabbath day is Sunday Mass. All Catholics are accustomed to go to hear mass especially on Sundays. Recently, the IEC talked about Filipinos calling mass boring. In this context, we can say that less people pay actual attention to mass are the ones that turn back from the Lord. Also, I learned from the mass last Sunday that masses used to be sang all throughout. But, we always want the faster way; thus, the system of mass we have today. Going back to what I mentioned, we find it boring. But, we have to turn back from finding mass boring because the Lord made all these scriptures for us. He may come back anytime in all His glory so we better be prepared. Aside from paying attention to the scriptures, we have to spread it. In this gospel, the line, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” conveys a clear message. We are somehow Jesus through how we give compassion and love to others even though we don’t know them, they are our enemies, or they hate you. If we preach the good news (like this reflection), whoever hears this will learn a thing or two and we will fulfill our duty as God’s steward. Through preaching, we come back in the open arms of the Lord. Likewise, when we hear the good news, we turn back to God through our actions.

Again, we are humans. We are imperfect and sinful. We also tend to turn away from God. Yet, with a little more effort on making the Lord pleased could make us come back. Also, we could come back if we are worthy of being called a real steward of God. It is not too late to change our point of view on mass and preaching. It is also never too late to come back for good.

"The Calling"

Bianca Fernandez JI- "The Calling"

This gospel isn't just your ordinary gospel. This is a wake up call, this is a reminder that we are children of God. He chose us to spread the word and educate the people who are unknowing of God's love. However, how can we do this if we aren't acting like we are in fact children of God? It is very common among Catholics for us to neglect our faith, and sometimes we tend to be embarrassed by our faith. It shouldn't be this way, because our faith makes us stronger.

I can honestly say that my faith makes me a stronger and better person. There was a point in my life where I felt the lowest of the low. I was always sad, mad, lonely and never contented myself. Instead of trying to make my situation better, I spent most of my time just wondering why I was feeling this way and why certain things were happening to me. I kept pointing fingers and blaming people for the things that were happening to me. However, something in my brain clicked. I realized that the reason I was feeling so down all the time was because I allowed my connection to God to be weakened. Since then, I started to rebuild my relationship with God and I gradually started feeling happier, stronger and better.

I wouldn't be able to bounce back from my low point without God. He makes everyone better and stronger, and I am living proof of this. We were chosen and destined to be children of God, so we must do our duty and spread God's word through actions and words. We must live our life the way God wants us to live it. It is time to make a change, it is time to embrace our faith whole heartedly.

The Mission We Must Fulfill

The Mission We Must Fulfill

By: Karl Bautista Junior I

Like what it states in the bible, we are all created in the likeness our our creator , God himself. Being created in the likeness of God does not mean that we physically look like him, but it solely means that we should act like him and we should fulfill and accomplish his mission here on earth. Just like Jesus, he was sent by his father to fulfill the mission he tasked us to do and to spread his message to all of his people. Evil can be seen on our surrounding s and temptations would always be there to persuade us to do sin which is why we should always try to go with God's plan for us.

One of Gods mission is for us to spread to good news to others. Not many people know about God and he wants is to tell them about Him since in knowing him, we would all be saved from evil. I'd like to believe that God wants us all to be with him in heaven when we leave earth and this would only be possible if we have faith in him and we put all of our trust into Him. By believing in Him, we drive away all the evil desires and we reject Satan at all costs. Another mission of his that he wants us to do is help the less fortunate. We should always be there for the less fortunate since they are still our brothers and sisters and similar to how we act with our blood relatives, we should love them and not make them feel alone. We should always feel blessed and thankful since God gave us all these blessings and we are meant to share these blessings with others. We can compare poor to when Jesus was having a hard time and no one wanted to help him since the majority didn't like him, even though some really did. We should not let others influence the way we look at other people especially the poor since this is totally against the plan of God. One more thing God wants us to do is to love your neighbor as you would love yourself. We often hurt and discriminate others and we sometimes think that they don't get affected by it. We should always put ourselves in their shoes and we should always imagine how we would feel if eh did that to us. These are just some of the missions God wants us to do and there are still a lot more for us to accomplish.

So just like in the gospel, Jesus was a reading a scripture and once he finished reading it, He rolled it back in and passed it on the others, we should always be like him. Every Time we here the good news or when something good happens to us, we should walrus remember to pass it on to others and share our happiness with them. Seeing others happy should always be one of our main goals here on earth since it directly complies with what God wants us to do here on earth. We should always believe that no matter what, God will always guide opus in our everyday decisions and he would not lead us to harm.

Being Like Jesus

Being Like Jesus, 

By: Rosina Jose JE CN: 21 

The Catholic faith is one which is often taken for granted, and the practice of Christian beliefs is slowly fading. Even as followers of Christ, we often forget to thank and praise Him, as well as spread His Good News. The Gospel of Luke reminds us that not only must we know the Scripture, but we must also live it out. We must carry out what we learn in the Eucharistic celebrations which we attend, because once we do this, we will be inspiring others as well as rekindling their faith in the Lord. In the Gospel, we are also reminded of Jesus' power and authority. However, even with all his might, he still chooses to help those who are less fortunate than him. This reading is also a beautiful one due to the fact that Jesus acknowledges that he is the Anointed One, yet he still devotes his entire being into being a servant to others.

There must have been times wherein we were ashamed of ourselves, may it be because of physical appearances, race, religion, and the like. However, Jesus reminds us, not only in this Gospel but also in other Scriptures, to be proud of who we are since we are made in God's image and likeness. The Gospel according to Luke tells to always be like our Christ, because he is the epitome of all that is good, just like his Father. Once we act like him, we will attain true happiness. Being like Jesus — being proud of our faith, preaching His Word everywhere without shame, and being of help to others — is what Christianity is all about. Being like Jesus is also what the Gospel is about. The evangelist, Luke, tries to convey his message that we can be even better followers of Christ when we live out the Good News, and when we take it to heart so that our relationship with the Lord may also grow deeper.

In short, the Gospel showed us that Jesus was not afraid to go around and spread the Good News, and as his disciples, we should follow his footsteps as well. This reading also imparts the message which tells us to be proud of our faith regardless of what others may think of it and regardless of the persecutions we may or may not receive.