When it's Hard to Render Grand Acts of Kindness

At some stage in our lives, We may have come to reflect about how much we've wasted doing things that aren't in accordance with our faith. We realize that after all these years, we haven't actually exerted symbolic effort in the name of the virtue of kindness. We feel ashamed of ourselves thinking how much we've received blessings and not doing something godly in return. We often think of many a ways to thank God by being kind or generous to others. All of which simply were left to our wishful thinking.

We should realize that, un-saintly as we are, we may never be able to do grand acts of kindness at all. We should be reminded that all big things start small. Therefore, out of our desire to get there, we need to start small. So we need to change our approach. We need to focus on doing the modest deeds that are more realistic to our level of virtue and grow from there.

We should be reminded that there are many of these acts we can do without hurting us that much. We will find out how fulfilling it would be to do them one step at a time. We need learn that we can do them one by one intentionally or spontaneously.

We can start buying from an old lady selling fruits by the roadside, even if we don't have the craving for the fruits. We can well make our purchase as bring-home to someone we care about. We can share even just Php100 every payday to one underpaid servant of our neighbor. We can drop the same amount to the church collection on Sundays, or we can drop to a church donation box for indigents - amount that should only hurt a little. Every time we know of somebody in need of petty financial assistance we can always take that as opportunity to give without hurting our pockets. When we are able to get a passenger jeepney ride at night we can always opt not to collect coin changes from the driver. Even if they're just coins it's still one small act of kindness. Still, the simpliest ones are such that we don't ignore the workplace janitors for short conversations or share jokes with. We can also say "Thank you's" to the janitress who visits our work area to collect the garbage from the trash cans. All of these seemingly trivial opportunities abound in our every day lives.

These are actions we can readily do every day but nevertheless gave no attention because we never cared one bit. But if we start to change our attitudes toward them and start putting them into practice they will eventually become habits. We can slowly get addicted to the small feelings of contentment and unexplained happiness that come with them. We may crave to do more as our natural inclination to do the little acts of kindness develops. We can become spontaneous, and in the long run be set up and ready to do the sacrifice for the bigger ones.

The Job I Never Saw Coming

It had been eight (8) years since I last had a job in a corporate institution, that was in a private hospital in Cebu City. I quit my job then, in hopes of gaining time independence and self-reliance by venturing into a cyber cafe with a partner. Unfortunately, things didn't work out as planned and hoped for. It was only a matter of two months that the business was closed down due to disagreements with my partner. I had no choice than to accept the failure in that endeavor. In the succeeding weeks and months, I was forced to live in uncertainties of a life without job, without income, dependence and depression. However, in those times, I never quit praying and believing that God saw everything and heard my cries.

Years passed by and nothing very significant happened in my career life. I took Nursing and English exams (hopeful to get a job abroad), went to hospital volunteer works, served in the church, attended IT training, studied and tried home-based freelance self-employment. I just went on with life and forgot about my predicament and petitions. There were times, though, that I questioned what I held on, that is faith. Nonetheless, I had no hint of giving up altogether. I left everything into His care and never cared seriously about life. I just lived as I was supposed to.

In an unexpected event last year, my buddy, Wilfredo Arbon let me applied for an IT vacancy position in the company he worked for 7 yrs now. I doubted if I could still make it there. Nevertheless, I just tried my luck.

I passed through every phase of the application process and even prayed to HIM to just get me out of the hurdle if it wasn't meant for me. I was tired of applying and failing previously. So, I only gave the hurdle half my heart and never cared much to protect myself from further frustration if things didn't work out in my favor.

Today, as I am writing this post, I am already a regular employee of Tsuneishi Technical Services Philippines (TTSP), being designated as Information System Staff developing internal systems for the company. One of the best things in my job is working alongside my college buddy. I am not earning as much as other programmers out there. But I am contented, happy and grateful with my job. Those things count the most. I firmly believe it was God's grace at work, and I never saw it coming.

Truth about Spiritual Life

For some of us, we may have held to our faith intact to this day. Though how much we try to live a life of prayers backstage the struggle to gain perfection has always been the same. The kind of thinking we have gained, our character and lifestyles may have taken mediocre improvements as opposed to the length and struggles of our spiritual lives. However, these should not be reasons to back down. The impediments to spiritual growth have always something to do with our being human. The lure of the world and the false hopes it offers has so much influence to distract us, and like our worldly life our spiritual life is also a cycle of ups and downs.

The success that spells with our spirituality is a lifelong process. And like worldly success true spiritual success is gained not by how intense we put ourselves spiritually in a particular point in time but in how consistent we are over time. For example, it’s true that we engage ourselves fervently in prayers for either weeks, months or more profoundly for years. Undeniably, however, there will always come a time that for some reason we slowly lose the blaze, and worse, being extinguished into spiritual coldness. Now, we should put in mind that it’s just a normal cycle in spirituality and that we should not give up the struggle all the way. We can always start from scratch and rekindle the fire in our own pace. As long as we are always consistent in getting up when we fall, we can always find hope.

I am writing about this from my reflection on my own spiritual life that has also gone its own twists and turns. For the sake of my brethren who may be confused as to what really is spiritual life all about, it is my opinion that we do face the challenges anytime. It is from our fall that we learn to get up each time and be stronger to face other obstacles that await us. It is always part of growth. Though it seems to be impossible to gain perfection it’s in the fight that proves our faith. We can always be imperfect, we can always be weak because we are human and always subject to temptations to the interests of the world, but in the end that faith will help us please God and eventually redeem us. Spirituality, after all, is a kind of training and involvement with God to prepare us for the next life.

Our Lady of Lourdes Mass and Services Schedule F. Llamas St., Punta Princesa, 6000 Cebu City, Philippines

Masses: (Monday - Saturday)
5:30 am (Cebuano)
6:30 am (Cebuano)
6:00 pm (Cebuano: Anticipated Mass)

Sunday Masses:
AM
5:00 am (Cebuano)
6:30 am (Cebuano)
8:00 am (English)
9:15 am (Cebuano)
10:30 am (English/Deaf Mute)

PM
1:00 pm (Cebuano Funeral Mass)
3:00 pm (Cebuano/Children's Mass)
4:15 pm (Cebuano)
6:00 pm (Cebuano/Youth Mass)
7:15 pm (English)

Confessions:
Daily: 4:30 pm - 7pm
Sunday: In every Mass

Baptism:
10:00 am (Sundays Only)

Common Adoration and Benediction:
1st Thursday of the Month 5:00 pm
Every Saturday 5:00 pm

Every 11th of the Month
5:30 am (Mass at the Grotto)
8:00 am Rosary and Confessions
8:30 am Benediction and Blessing of the Sick
9:00 am Holy Mass for Healing

Every Saturday
5:00 pm adoration
6:00 pm anticipated mass
7:00 pm Candlelight Procession around church premises and ends at the Grotto (With a short Good Night talk and blessing of the People/Candles/Flowers and Water)

Pilgrimage at the Shrine:
Any time of the year or you may call the parish office for assistance: To receive the plenary indulgence granted by the church, ideal pilgrimage day is on Saturdays.
(032) 261-5393 local 105 look for Glenda, Laila or Angel

Donations: (for feeding center, calamities, bundles of joy, scholarship, etc)

Shrine Office and Religious Store Hours
Telephone: (032) 2615393 local 100
Monday - Saturday
8:30 am - 11:30 am
2:30 pm - 6:00 pm

Sunday
9:00 am - 12:00 pm
2:30 pm - 5: 00 pm

Catering Services
Telephone: (032) 2615393 local 118

Mortuary Reservations
Telephone: (032) 2615393 local 100

Gymnasium Use and Tarp Posting
Telephone: (032) 2615393 local 116

MASS SCHEDULE: Sto. Rosario Parish,P. del Rosario St., Cebu City

MON-SAT:

AM
5:00-Cebuano
5:45-Cebuano
6:30-English
7:00-English
8:00-English
8:45-Cebuano
12:15-English (Mon-Fri only)

PM
2:00-Cebuano
3:15-Cebuano (Wed @ 3:00pm)
4:00-Cebuano
4:45-English (Wed & *Sat @ 5pm)
5:30-English (Wed & *Sat @ 6pm)
6:15-English (except Wed & Sat)
7:00-English (except Thur)
note: * - anticipated mass

Additional Mass Schedule:
10:00am & 1:00pm (Wed-Cebuano)
10:30am (Fri-Cebuano)

Sunday Masses:

AM
4:45-Cebuano
6:00-Cebuano
7:15-English
8:30-Cebuano
9:45-English
11:00-English

PM
2:00-English
3:15-Cebuano
4:30-Cebuano
5:45-Cebuano
7:00-English
8:15-English

Confessions: Mon-Sat
8am-9am
4pm-7pm