Sunday Reflections: Healing and Prayers

****************************************************

Today’s Gospel (Mark 1: 29-39) is of  healing and prayers.

Simon said, “Jesus, my mother-in-law is sick in bed with a fever.”Jesus went to her, took her by the hand, and raised her up.  The fever left her immediately, and she began to serve them.

“Rising very early before dawn, He left and went off to a deserted place, where He prayed.”  

Having personally experienced the power of these two words, it felt like the readings were speaking directly to me. As part of my personal reflection, I would like to share my 2011 reckoning which I wrote before the year ended and manifests much of what I feel about healing and prayers.

*****************************************************

While 2011 has not been particularly great for me, the events of this year have truly cemented my belief in love, prayers and second chances. These words embody most of what I am thankful for in 2011.

Love of family and friends.  I never doubted that  love strongly binds my family but 2011 was an affirmation of that love. I felt it when I marked my 40th - truly memorable gestures of appreciation from my whole family. I felt it more when I fought a "great battle". I will forever cherish the love shown by family and friends - I knew that I was fully armed to give a good fight and to finally win - physically scarred but emotionally stronger.

LOVE is the best medicine

The power of prayers. Cliche' but true. So many testimonials have been written on the subject that no further elaboration is necessary. But each case is very personal, very intimate - always between the person and the Higher Being. For me, 2011 was an opportunity to reinforce my relationship with my GOD. Along with so many wonderful people who offered their prayers, I let go and let GOD. And now, more fervently than ever,  in the happiest, saddest and darkest moments of my life, I utter a prayer of thanksgiving and blessing.

Second chances.  They say that if you get a second chance, grab it with both hands. I know that I was given a jolt but I was also offered a second chance - to do things better or differently, to treasure the littlest joys,to laugh harder, to love more, to touch more lives, TO LIVE...

Then again, we need not wait for the changing of the year to have a clean slate, a new page, a new beginning...life offers us all these at all times! What we write and rewrite onto them is entirely our choice...

****************************************************

Personal prayer:

Lord, thank you for listening to us during the happiest, saddest and darkest moments of our lives. AMEN.

Sunday Reflections: Epiphany

I listened to the TV mass today. It was celebrated by Fr. Jerry Orbos, one priest whose homilies always bestow spiritual nourishment.

Fr. Orbos’ homily this Sunday focused, naturally, on the Feast of Epiphany – the visit of the three wise men to the infant Jesus bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.  It was not the visit per se that we are celebrating but the epiphany of the Magi that the infant Jesus is the Son of God. 

Epiphany, by definition, is the sudden realization or comprehension of the(larger) meaning or essence of something.  Historically, it was used to convey realization through the intervention of the divine. In today’s usage, epiphany simply means an “aha” moment.

Epiphany moments are universal but they maybe so dramatic that they may lead to a 360 deg change in how we view things and life, in general.   They may also be (sometimes surprising)  results of a long, agonizing process .  Sometimes, too, for us to achieve our epiphany, we need to seclude ourselves from what is real and tangible and escape to a  world that  imposes  personal reflections .  Away from the noise and the clutter, we transcend the physical realm of perceptions and  attain comprehension and complete realization.

I guess, my epiphany  came in 1997 when I had an inner struggle on whether to marry the person I was with then.  We had been together for 7 years and of course,  we were incessantly prodded by family and friends to take the plunge. The only thing is that I felt I was not ready for a life-long commitment of  “till death do us part.”  Another reason was that, another person came into the scene. An old friend who probably now defines most of the what ifs in my life. In short, I was torn between the person I was with who saw the best and worst in me through all those 7 years and this new (well, not entirely) person who, in the past, has also “lost” me to somebody else.

I’ve probably never prayed harder for discernment than during those times. It’s a lifetime we’re talking about here. 

Then, one night,  while browsing through some old notes, I came across an old HS project – a reflection notebook. There, written in bold script is a young wish …” I would like to marry a man like my father”…

As they say, the rest is history.

So, what was your greatest epiphany?

***************

Passing thoughts…

Fr. Orbos said that like every year of our life, 2012 is another journey. For us to succeed in this journey, we only need three things:  a PRAYER in our pocket, a SMILE in our face and LOVE in our heart.