Go.

I have always admired Joey De Leon's wit, and just recently I decided to follow him on Twitter.

I came across one of the articles he wrote for The Philippine Star and it's just too beautiful that I got inspired to blog about it.

The title says it all: Go and Travel. The author shared that when you rearrange the letters in the words "good life", you'll come up with this statement: DO LIFE... GO!

GO. Short but powerful statement. It probably is the shortest sentence which calls for action. Go.

During the World Youth Day closing mass in Brazil, Pope Francis' message was simple:

1. Go.

2. Do not be afraid.

3. Serve.

Those were the same statements delivered by Bishop Honesto Ontiongco of the Diocese of Cubao during his homily at the ANCOP Global Walk last August 25.

In today's mass, Fr. Benedict Lagarde urged us to go and tell stories of the Lord's goodness.

Life is really all about doing and going. To be fully alive is to act and make something beautiful out of what you have. It can be difficult at times, but there's no other way to live life but to go and do life.

No two people are alike. We all have our unique gifts and talents, different crosses and trials, but what unites humanity is our common mission - the purpose for which all of us were created - The Great Commission: To go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that we are commanded to do. (Matthew 28:19)

We are called to go...

... and make disciples

... and serve

... and love

... and travel

... and participate

... and enjoy

... and tell stories

... and share

... and make a difference

... and be a witness!

It may be difficult, but not impossible because we also have the assurance that God is with us until the end of age. :)

And if life's struggles really get overwhelming, let's take inspiration from Saint Gregory the Great, whose feast we celebrate today.

Below is an excerpt from one of his homilies:

PRAYER AMIDST DISTRACTIONS

Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Note that a man whom the Lord sends forth as a preacher is called a watchman. A watchman always stands on a height so that he can see from afar what is coming. Anyone appointed to be a watchman for the people must stand on a height for all his life to help them by his foresight.

How hard it is for me to say this, for by these very words I denounce myself. I cannot preach with any competence, and yet insofar as I do succeed, still I myself do not live my life according to my own preaching.

I do not deny my responsibility; I recognize that I am slothful and negligent, but perhaps the acknowledgment of my fault will win me pardon from my just judge. Indeed when I was in the monastery I could curb my idle talk and usually be absorbed in my prayers. Since I assumed the burden of pastoral care, my mind can no longer be collected; it is concerned with so many matters.

I am forced to consider the affairs of the Church and of the monasteries. I must weigh the lives and acts of individuals. I am responsible for the concerns of our citizens. I must worry about the invasions of roving bands of barbarians, and beware of the wolves who lie in wait for my flock. I must become an administrator lest the religious go in want. I must put up with certain robbers without losing patience and at times I must deal with them in all charity.

With my mind divided and torn to pieces by so many problems, how can I meditate or preach wholeheartedly without neglecting the ministry of proclaiming the Gospel? Moreover, in my position I must often communicate with worldly men. At times I let my tongue run, for if I am always severe in my judgments, the worldly will avoid me, and I can never attack them as I would. As a result I often listen patiently to chatter. And because I too am weak, I find myself drawn little by little into idle conversation, and I begin to talk freely about matters which once I would have avoided. What once I found tedious I now enjoy.

So who am I to be a watchman, for I do not stand on the mountain of action but lie down in the valley of weakness? Truly the all-powerful Creator and Redeemer of mankind can give me in spite of my weaknesses a higher life and effective speech; because I love him, I do not spare myself in speaking of him.

We are weak and unworthy. We are not qualified, to say the least. But we are called and equipped to go and proclaim the greatness of God! After all, we are created by Him and we ought to live and die for Him. :)

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Understanding Lupang Hinirang

Every Filipino knows Lupang Hinirang (though some know it better as " Bayang Magiliw "). How can you not know it when it is the national anthem of the Philippines? But do we really mean the lyrics that we sing? Do we understand it in the first place? Photo Credit: http://diazi.ism-online.org This video has gone viral weeks ago. This afternoon, I shared it to my teammates, and one commented, "Yun pala yun . Ngayon ko lang naintindihan." He immediately downloaded it and converted to MP3. So for those who have not seen it, once again, here is Joey Ayala's version of Lupang Hinirang. And I agree, you would never want to sing it in another way. (But that's just me. :D) This rendition is simply beautiful. Truly Filipino. :) Of course that doesn't mean we need to revise our national anthem but maybe we can consider about correcting the way we sing it (read: proper pronunciation). Read more about the Philippine National Anthem here .

Jesus Week 2015: A Time To HEAL ♥

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Thank You, Lord! :)

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