The Not-So-Little Drummer Boy

So what's your favorite Christmas carol?

I remember how much I liked the song "Little Drummer Boy".The words and music to this Christmas song was composed by Katherine K. Davis, Henry Onorati and Harry Simeone in 1958 with the lyrics consisting of no less than 21 rum pum pum pum (source: http://www.carols.org.uk/little_drummer_boy.htm)

Come they told me, pa rum pum pum pum
A new born King to see, pa rum pum pum pum
Our finest gifts we bring, pa rum pum pum pum
To lay before the King, pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,

So to honor Him, pa rum pum pum pum,
When we come.

Little Baby, pa rum pum pum pum
I am a poor boy too, pa rum pum pum pum
I have no gift to bring, pa rum pum pum pum
That's fit to give the King, pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,

Recollecting back, it dawned on me how my childhood experiences took some striking semblance to the main character boy in the song. Our family, thanks to our loving and hardworking parents, were not really poor in terms of need but there were still some childhood insecurities that I experienced along the way. I have seen how my well-off classmates would bring to school their latest expensive toys compared to my dirty home-made or cheap ones. They would ride on their shiny new BMX bicycles as I walk further away before riding our "carabao" bicycle. They have all new clothes every school-year opening but I have only a new pair so I use the old ones until they either break-off along their seams or are totally unfit to wear.

So Christmas time for me was full of hope for material things that I can receive from my parents, uncles, aunts and god-parents. I would surely get new clothes, newest toys and crisp paper bills to show-off to my cousins on our traditional reunions.

As I grew up and learned about the Christmas story of our Lord Jesus of how ruggedly poor His initial conditions were at the scene of Nativity, I slowly learned to embrace my situation then and appreciated better my childhood blessings. I realized that my condition is not exactly "poor" as I perceived it to be. With my cheap toys, I never had any reservation to lend it to others and would have felt little sadness in case they are lost. With our old bike, I never had to worry about it being stolen when I park it anywhere. And as for my old clothes, well I don't mind sweating it all over as I played. And as for those rich kids with good toys, well, I became friends with some of them and I get to play with their toys as well.

Shall I play for you, pa rum pum pum pum,
On my drum?

Mary nodded, pa rum pum pum pum
The ox and lamb kept time, pa rum pum pum pum
I played my drum for Him, pa rum pum pum pum
I played my best for Him, pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,

Then He smiled at me, pa rum pum pum pum
Me and my drum.

Now that I am a grown-up man, a husband and father at that, our Lord still keeps on smiling at me even if I am still without any physical gold, frankinsence or myyrh to offer Him. It is my fervent belief that as long as I hold my drum and play my best drum-beat for Him, He will be smiling at me because He loves me and my drum, nothing more and nothing less.

During this holiday, it is my prayer that more and more people will also see it fit to play the only drum that matters to our Lord on His birthday.

This drum is our heart.
And our drum-beat must be our faithful and undying heart-beat for Him.

Happy Birthday to you, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Our Mother

Tita Conching is my mother’s younger sister with whom I have one of my fondest childhood memories.

I was then a skinny, dark and sickly kid when I had a long vacation stay with her family. She has 5 children of her own and with her husband not really having a permanent job, I am quite sure, in hindsight, that they may very well be experiencing tight finances that time. Yet, there was always food at the table during meal time and modest snacks in between. Everyday was fun time for me and my cousins as we play around the small neighborhood and in their “silong”(a vacant space under an elevated house). At night, the fun fest and laughter continued until we all fell asleep together in their wooden-floor living area, cramped in “banig” (hand-woven mat) and protected from mosquitoes by “kulambo” (mosquito nets).

But more than those playful activities during my vacation, my Tita Conching made the most profound impression in my young mind. She was overly protective of me ( I said I was a sickly kid, right?) but she never prevented me to enjoy play-time. She would watch over our play, wipe my back when I am sweaty and reprimand my older cousins if our actions are apparently becoming beyond playful. She would prepare my bath and put Johnson’s baby powder on my face after-bath (I did say I was dark then, didn’t I?). She would comb my hair and smile at me with pride. Yes, she always smile, I mean, I have never caught a glimpse of her not smiling whenever I saw her looking at me. She always talk to me in a low soft and sweet voice as she imparted her simple words of wisdom about how to become a good child. My Tita Conching loved me so much then that, I sure felt she could very well be my second mother, if there is one such.

If in case you have some doubts about her motherly love for me, she named their 6th child after my namesake – Rowen.
That’s how she loved me and I was so blessed to have spent time with such a loving woman.

This coming December 8, another loving woman’s birth will be celebrated by Catholics.
The Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary – our Lord’s mother.
Our mother in Jesus Christ.

There are times that I must admit my disappointment against some people who do not only misunderstand our mother Mary’s role in our salvation but are even resorting to mariaphobic criticisms and needless accusations against our Catholic belief. Her immaculate conception has always been "...by a singular privilege and grace granted by God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the human race." (taken from New Advent - http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07674d.htm).

For us Catholics, Mary’s role can be best explained by her simplest words and actions at the wedding in Cana (John 2:1-11) when she told the wedding servers to “do whatever he tells you”. Her directions has always been towards obedience to Jesus with which she has always lived and guided her life as well. She simply invites each and everyone of us to join her in obeying the Lord.

Personally speaking, I can never fully fathom how blessed we are that other than our biological mothers (or in some lucky cases like mine, a special second mother like Tita Conching) God has given us the abundant grace of Mary’s motherhood. I am not a Marian devotee (yet) but I have my utmost respect for her life of faith and obedience. I sincerely believe that if I can only emulate even just a tiny fraction of her holy life, I am pretty sure that she will be all smiles for me too. After all, she is my spiritual mother who wishes nothing less than my salvation.

So for those who believe in her, feel free to go to her for intercession, guidance and direction.
And for those who continue to shy away from her, please search your inner self and cast away all your doubts about her role in our faith.
She is your mother too and she cares a big deal about your life in the now and more so, in the hereafter.

Happy Feastday to our Mother Mary.

God bless us.

A Letter to Angel

Dearest Angel,

We never had the chance to meet but a part of me knows you already.
Not fully but just enough to write you this short letter.

We met your family today and we felt your parents' pain despite their subtle attempts to hide behind their smiles and lively conversations. Your two ate's (elder sisters) are more quiet than their usual because in their young hearts they know it though still void of full comprehension.

Not too long ago, your unexpected coming became a momentous event for your family.
Everybody became excited and each one, in great anticipation, would have certainly dreamed how you would become the apple of each family member's eye. Both of your sisters may have been looking at some of their old stuffs and toys, wondering if you still would like them despite being outdated and out of fashion. Anyway, they know that it does not matter to you because you will just be overly proud to have wonderful sisters to play with and look after each other.

Your parents seek the best medical support they can find for you and your mommy. They wanted to make sure that your health and safety are foremost in their chosen doctor's agenda.

In the end though, God's plan for you prevailed.
It was not meant to be.

In a sudden twist of fate, you were called back to heaven while still only around 5 months inside your mother's womb. And as it turned out, your unexpected coming was preempted by your unexpected departure. Your family's joyful expectation became, in an instant, overcast with clouds of pain and grief.

I write to you because you are not only Angel as a namesake given by your parent but a heavenly-ordained angel, a cherubim playing angelic tunes with a golden lyre.
With your intercession, your family can grieve with the hope of healing in due time.
With your intercession, your family can cope with the pain of losing by being comforted by the truth that you are now safely back in our Lord's embrace.
With your intercession, your family can move on to find meaning from all of these hurts.

I know you can read this and our faith dictates that you will come to your family's side with your own prayers for them.
I know that you love them this much because we have seen how much they love you.

We join your family in prayers.

love,
Tito Rowin and Tita Menchie

PS. Please say hi to our Maia up there.


Angel was supposed to be the third daughter of our good friends but due to an unforeseen medical condition, she left them before even she was born. What makes the loss more painful was when the communist authorities strongly opposed and denied, as a matter of their alleged strict policy, their request to claim her fetal remains for proper Catholic burial in our home-country. Our grieving friends can only lift up to God all these things that has happened to their baby.

The Gift

After more than 10 years in China, we have finally added the most significant and meaningful decoration of the Christmas holiday season – the scene of Nativity. All the main characters from baby Jesus, Joseph, Mary, the angel, 3 wise men and to some stable animals were given to us in figurine sets. But since the manger was conspicuously missing, my son Zek and I decided to add this to our homeschooling art projects by making one from glued popsicle sticks and taped cut papers that we later painted in brown color to add a semblance of natural manger outlook. It turned out to be nice and we added a battery-powered LED light to focus on the infant Jesus. My wife gave us her sweet smile and nod of approval after we completed it. At last, we set-up the scene on top of a small cabinet.

One by one, I described to my son the characters and the roles they played in the scene. Since it was the first time he heard about the three wise men, he was quite intrigued at the gifts they were offering to baby Jesus – gold, myrrh and frankincense, if I remember them right. I told him these were the best and most expensive gifts during that time.

A few days passed and I noticed something was added into our Nativity scene. Partly obscured by the paper grasses on the floor was a brown plastic thing beside the baby Jesus.

Pure joy enveloped me as I smiled to myself upon knowing what it was. It was Zek’s Lego treasure chest with all the gold plastic coins that he believes to be the best and most expensive part of his toy collection.

He was offering them to baby Jesus as well!

This coming Sunday will be the celebration of the feast of Christ The King which subsequently will be followed by the four Sundays of advent in preparation for the birth of our Lord.

Once again, it is timely to ask ourselves this question – what kind of gift can I offer to our Lord for the coming Christmas? What will be the best and most worthy offering can I lay down in front of Him who is my King and my Savior?

Most of us know it but I would rather repeat this for the benefit of those who have forgotten amidst the materialistic and busy world we now live in – the BEST and MOST WORTHY gift, sans the glossy wrappings and silk ribbon top décor, that we can give to our Lord on His birthday is our pure, humble and gracious hearts. Needless to say, we are His PRICELESS brothers and sisters that neither money, prestige or power can compare in value.

Jesus, the Giver who is also the Gift, is waiting in great anticipation for our personal gift this year.

Let us not let Him wait in vain.

God bless.

Charity Without Borders

One morning, as my son and I were playing our own version of "football-jog" (where we jog around the small garden place while kicking a small football), we saw a lady preparing food for some stray cats. Zek being curious, stopped to look while and I admired the lady for such gentle and kind act from a distance. But as she placed the food down in front of the gray-stripped dark cat, she started to shoo-away the other two cats nearby. Zek glanced back at me with a confused look. "Why were the other two cats prevented from sharing food with the dark cat?", was certainly the logical question bugging my son at that very moment. All three cats looked unfed but why only feed this particular one and deny the others?

It bugged me as well.

There were some situations in my life when I was also prejudicial and selective in my intention to help. Just recently, when I saw the Pakistani people devastated by the relentless flooding in their country for many days, I took pity on them which ended there – just pitying them. Not that I needed to hop into the next flight to Pakistan and volunteer there, but I realized that I could have just easily prayed for them and doled out some amount to organizations helping them directly. I could remember well, that during last year’s Ondoy calamity in the Philippines, we have incessantly included the affected Filipinos in our prayer time and even organized financial contribution-donation from our friends to send to our country.

So why do we choose who to help, who to love?

Is it because of our preferences for blood-relations, nationality or religious affiliations?

Is it because of wanting to be recognized for our good deed?

Is it because we hope to be repaid in any form in the near future?

Even the bible tells us of one story (Matthew 15:26-28). where a woman with a daughter tormented by a demon begged Jesus for healing and was told that “it is not right to take the food of the children and throw it into the dogs”. She was from Canaan and in all likelihood, a Gentile. Jesus is a Jew, whose community has expressed contempt for such people. It was only her great show of faith which seemed to have moved the Lord to grant her request. Not necessarily, because Jesus already knew the immovable faith of the woman and was only taking the opportunity to preach to His apostles and to the people present there. He wanted to teach them that God’s love and salvation is for all as long as they will have faith in Him, regardless of a person’s background.

Jesus emphasized this furthermore in Luke 6 :32-34 when He told us,“ For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same amount”.

The challenge for those who are in service is not to be selective whom to serve and not to choose whom to love.

Matthew 25:33-46 made it clear that those who have fed the hungry, gave drink to the thirsty, visited those in prison, welcomed strangers, cared for those who are ill and clothed the naked, they would be separated and grouped to the right side to be formally welcomed into God’s kingdom. The rest, who did otherwise, will be taken into the unquenchable fire. And when both sides asked the Lord when was He hungry or thirsty or ill or in prison, naked or a stranger, the Lord will say,” Whatever you have done to the least of your brethren, you have done unto me”. Note that He did not say ,”Whatever you did to your family member….”, or “Whatever you did to your community-member….”, or ,” Whatever you did to your Catholic brothers and sisters”. He did not specified any group but he gave the keyword of who should benefit from our service. They must be the “least” of our brethrens.

Indeed, loving anybody that falls in our category of “others” takes spiritual maturity from us all.

And yet it is possible because it is God who loved us first and continues to love us all.

No ifs and not a single but.

Neither should we.

God bless.

Two Writers, Two Reflections and God's Single Message

Question: Can two different writers wrote two different articles at two different time and place and send one single but personal Godly message to one person?

My overwhelming answer: Yes and allow me to testify.

Last April, my family went home to Phillipines for our annual vacation. And as soon as we visited our Tita Shirley, she excitedly showed us an April 4, 2010 Didache reflection and story surrounding the incident of our daughter’s passing away. It was written by a good friend of mine, Jun Asis of Mabuting Balita. It was a poignant moment for us, even trying my best to hide my teary eyes as my mind was rewinded once again about that fateful day. I closed the booklet after I read it and thanked her for letting us know about.

Our vacation ended after 3 weeks and we went back to China and I emailed a simple thanks to Jun.

On the last week of September, my brother-in-law’s family arrived in China for a holiday. With them they brought along another copy of the 2010 Didache for my wife and I (we also receive daily the electronic copies of the KerygmaFamily’s Didache, Sabbath and Companion but unfortunately have not read it on a daily basis – our bad).

October came and the biggest surprise yet for my family has arrived – my wife is now pregnant with our third child.

But since October is also the same month when we lost Maia, I just felt like reading once again the April 4 reflection in Didache. That is when the Lord surprised me once again (yes, He never runs out of those stuffs). Our Lord simply touched my heart because the very next reflection on April 5 was a sharing by Alvin Barcelona (kerygma preacher and Power kids school co-owner) about the excitements and worries of being a Daddy again. Obviously, I myself am going to be Daddy once more!

The April 4 article is about our tragedy and test of faith.

The April 5 article is about God’s answer to our prayers and faithfulness.

The Lord has clearly spoken to my family – He is faithful and He loves us.

Thanks Jun!

Thanks Alvin!

Thank you, Lord!

Blessed be the name of the Lord.

A Different October

October is here.

Nostalgia is once again in the air for us as we usher in the month when we lost our little daughter. I agree that the incident happened nearly two years ago but for those who have lost their loved ones, I am sure they will understand it when we claim that the heartbreak and the pain will never really go away. We can only find comfort in knowing that we have our own angel in heaven who looks after us and intercedes on our behalf.

Two nights ago, I had an early trip down bitter-sweet memory lane when, until the wee hours of the night, I browsed through the photos of our beloved Maia while she was still with us. And as usual, I had a lot of tearful moments as I stared at her lovely eyes and cherubim face. I smiled at her funny pictures as well and could only sighed over the photos of her enjoying her moments with Zek. I terribly missed her.

A few days ago, our son Zek saw a black with yellow-striped butterfly which he vainly tried to play with as it instantly flies away whenever he tries to reach for it. Our Maia loved butterflies as well and she also ran incessantly at it whenever she saw one. And when it has flown away beyond her reach, she would bid it farewell,”bye-bye butterfly”.

Today our angel Maia has given us her irrefutable presence in our lives.

My wife tested positive for our new baby.

Effective today, October will not just a be the “good-bye” month for us but a renewed celebration in welcoming a new life. I am sure our Maia worked this out with the Lord eversince she came home. (Indeed, our loss was heaven’s gain)

Thank you, our dear angel.

All praises and honor we give to you Lord.

Amen and God bless.

Undeniable Mercy

Exactly nine days after the tragic hostage crisis drama in Manila ended in the loss of eight lives of innocent Hongkong tourists at the hands of a disgruntled ex-policeman, my colleague and I were flagged down by the local Chinese police at a routinary checkpoint in Zhuhai. That crisis was very much a headline and heated item for both countries. My heart palpitated like a drum roll as the officer motioned me to step out of the car I was driving. Despite knowing and understanding a little bit of the Chinese language, I opted to speak in straight english with the officer in the hopes of evading further inquiries which, at that particular moment, might lead to something a lot of Filipinos in China and Hongkong feared and felt – unwarranted backlash against Filipinos. Notwithstanding that I recognized his question about my nationality, I dodged the question by calmly yet consistently denying understanding his question and gesturing to make a phone call to our Chinese manager for assistance.

He looked closely at my driving license and stared at me.

Afterwards he swiftly whisked his hand towards the direction of our destination.

“He is letting me go”, I said to myself.

I thanked him and we left.

Only after I arrived home was I totally aghast to see that clearly marked beside my name in the driver’s license was my Filipino nationality.

The police officer knew it all along.

As a practicing Catholic, there are admittedly occasions when I have been in “denial” of my faith and beliefs. I am not even talking about faith renunciations at the thought of religious persecutions which the saints in the past surpassed or about the zealously intellectual defence of apologetics againts attacks by believers from other sects. I am particularly guilty of them in the daily humdrums of my life. When I wake up each morning, how many times have I jumped to a lot of others activities without any prayer prelude? I rush myself getting into the car and revving up the engine without a short pause to ask for driving assistance. During work, how many times have I resorted to white lies just to get the necessary result within the shortest time possible? And if office stuffs and issues becomes stresfully difficult to handle and things do not work out as I planned, then I would resort to unrestrained anger. I have my prejudices, less-than-pure glances, self-righteous rationalizations, annoyances, lazy circumstances, uninformed opinions which ran opposed to the teachings of the church and a few more sins that clouded the truth of His presence in my life. At night, I go home tired and would, now and again, half-consciously pray with my wife as we prepare to rest.

And to top it all, I, every now and then, would act as if everything is still fine with me,simply forgetting and forgoing any exerted effort to remedy or improve the situation.

Honestly speaking,” Who am I kidding?”.

The Lord knows all these details even if I forget them as soon as a new day comes and even as I conveniently dismissed them. There’s no denying all these offenses I am committing against Him. They are clearly written beside my name in His book of life and only a conscientious confession and a firm resolve to mend my ways can lead me to a forgiven and a new life.

When St. Peter denied Jesus three times, Jesus encouraged him to redeem himself with an equal three-time confession and directive to “Feed my sheep” (John 21:15-17). Yes, the goods news remains up to our present time. Our denials are also opportunities for our redemption through God’s endless stream of divine mercy.

So how long have you been denying the Lord?

Isn’t it about time we go to confession and to follow His directive?

God bless.

God's Plan

I have been an OFW for more than ten years now. And so from time to time, especially the last year or so, I will admit getting the zealous desire to return to our home country. Now this is initially set to be sometime within next year. As a result of these thoughts for the past few months, my wife and I have been making concrete and definitive plans and steps for alternative means to earning money through entrepreneurship while trying to secure our long-term goal of providing a modest retirement nest for both of us as well.

We recently reactivated our government social security system memberships in order to complete the mandatory twelve year contributions to qualify for future pensions and other benefits. We started investing in stock markets (I just earned a few thousand pesos with the recent upward trend in Philippine stock market!) to add opportunities into our passive-income generating portfolio. We put up our very first owned land property in the south area for sale in the hopes of funding up one of the small business options we are planning to invest into. We plan to (and hopefully be able) to keep our existing health-care insurance to keep us relatively worry-free amidst the sky-rocketing medical expenses. Other possibilities and conditions are on the table for our careful study and consideration.

As for the humble beginnings of our small family ministry, Maia Outreach Programs, we will maintain our vow and commitment to bring and give any possible assistance to the needy children the Lord will sent our way. But for this to be doable, we also must set aside our time, talent and tithes consistently, in addition to good friends who support MOP financially and spiritually.

Obviously, all of these planning can be mostly summed up as financial security for our family which was the main reason for me working in this foreign land. Careful planning is a must before we ever make that final decision to go home. However, my own fear of the uncertainties of what the future holds for my family can still occasionally grip or even cuff me down into delaying our conceived plans.

In these times, I have only two choices - to continue entertaining the unholy jeer of fear or to be focus on what I feel is God's calling for my family, the next stage that He prepared for our journey and mission in life.

In these times, I can rely on St. Pauls assurance to the Philippians when he wrote, " Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." (4:6-7)

In these times, I will choose to follow His prodding and live by His promise, "...and behold I am with you always, until the end of age." (Matthew 28:20)

Afterwards, I feel my fears fading away.

And the better I can see God's plan conquering my own.

Dear friends, have you been delaying God's plan for your life because of valid cares and concerns?
Then, pray intensely and intently for these not to go away (they are valid concerns, right?) but to be swept under God's divine and merciful providence, so you can finally act on His will accordingly.

Because God's plan is always the best plan for us.

God bless.

To Give More or To Give All

The Giving Pledge.
We all heard the astronomical philanthropic pledges of the world's richest persons in response to the initiatives of Bill Gates and Warren Buffet several years ago. And though some people had gamely put malice over their intentions, nobody can deny the enormity of the impact of their actions with regards to helping and reaching out to the poorest of the poor. It was estimated that their committed pledges could total as high as 230 billion dollars when pooled together.

For those interested to see who among the billionaires gave their moral commitment, please check their site - http://givingpledge.org


The Giving Edge
I accidentally watched a Hongkong news feature about "Auntie Kwan". She was a Hongkong elderly person who is supported by a regular hand-outs from her children and a low government subsidy for the elderly. She lives in a very small house without a ceiling and other home furniture or appliances. She does not buy food in the market and just cooks the vegetables that she grows in her small backyard. One could easily think that she is a frugal but rich old lady with savings to sustain her in the future. But she actually has no money at all. Because as soon as she gets the money from her children and from the government subsidy, she grabs her trolley bag and buy goodies and stuffs that she readily gives out to absolutely anybody in need that she meets. No question asked. No ifs. No buts. She has been doing this for more than 30 years now ! During days when she is flat-out penniless, she visits homes for the elderly and chats, sings and play with them, bringing along her indefatigable zest for life. And it is a little wonder because everyday for her is a gift from God to whom she sings her praise and poem on her every morning.

The billionaires and Auntie Kwan are poles apart in terms of financial standing and influence but the effects on the people who are direct recipients of their kindness are the same. They feel joy. They feel hope. They feel alive.

These people feel love.

So for a lot of us who are still procrastinating with the mind-set of "I will give when I have enough", just remember the many people like Auntie Kwan who never have anything and yet has "given her all" (Mark 12: 42-44).

These billionaires are raising the bar of world philanthropy.
Auntie Kwan, and those like her, continue to raise the joy of selfless giving without measure.
In the end, they both give out the same message and challenge - that everybody has something good to offer to others.

Go ahead and share God's love in your own selfless ways.

God bless.

Prayer Passwords

The most common dilemma for us Christians when it comes to prayer petitions is this – will God answer my request?

We pray for happy and fulfilling marriage.

We pray for healthy life.

We pray for successful careers.

We pray for safety for each family member.

We pray for the healing of a friend or loved one with illness.

We pray for a financially rewarding business.

We pray for passing the board examinations.

We pray for the next meal.

We pray for our country’s road to economic recovery.

We even pray for our enemies.

We pray for a lot of valid concerns and basic life’s necessities. And with expectant faith, we pray perseveringly either until the request is granted or when our hearts have grown tired and weary of waiting that we finally sank to hopelessness. We give up and feel that God has totally forgotten us. Sadly, we end up not praying anymore. But the assurance has always been given to us as Luke 11:9-12 says, “And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg?"

God answers prayers and He does so righteously because only He knows truly what is good for you and me.

So why does God delay and, seemingly at times, even denied His response to our prayer request?

The truth is, it is simply because we often forget to say the “passwords” to God’s blessing.

And what are these “passwords”?

First is a three worded sentence.

Come Holy Spirit.

Luke 11:13 says, “….how much more will the Father in heaven give the holy Spirit to those who ask him?"

The Lord promised to, always and without fail, answer our request for the Holy Spirit.

And what benefits, in terms of our personal prayer requests, will we have from having the Holy Spirit within us.

CCC 1831 teaches us that - The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. They belong in their fullness to Christ, Son of David.They complete and perfect the virtues of those who receive them. They make the faithful docile in readily obeying divine inspirations.

When we have the Spirit within us, we will benefit from all His fruits and we will not only receive our prayer requests in a jiffy, ala UPS speed delivery, wrapped in glossy ribbons and colorful boxes. Instead, we will have the joyous experience of seeing them unfold before our very own eyes.

We will have a happy and fulfilling marriage.

We will have healthy lives.

We will have successful careers.

We will have safety for each family member.

We will have the healing of a friend or loved one with illness.

We will have a financially rewarding business.

We will pass the board examinations.

We will have the next meal.

We will have our country’s road to economic recovery.

We will have peace with our enemies.

The next password is another three worded sentence that is equally efficacious even without further elaboration.

Thank you, Lord.

A gracious attitude is a magnet for a gracious and blessed life.

May all our prayers be answered according to God’s will.

God bless po.