outcast and included

I remember when I was a kid, I used to go out and play with the neighbors from next door. Our families were close. Only a small gate at the side separate our lots. This is where I would pass to go to their house.

On one occasion, their grandmother visited and handed out treats and peso coins to them while we were playing. Realizing I was also there, with my friends (her grand kids) telling her I was from next door, their grandmother gave some coins to me as well. At that time I did not really know how to be embarrassed, but good thing I was also not childish enough to be envious if I were not able to receive any! I said "Thank you," at that time and I remembered how I felt good to receive that treat. I even recall cheerfully mentioning to my parents later on that day that I received such a treat!

I can't exactly remember how my parents reacted to it. I knew I was just thankful. I didn't really deserve the treat as I wasn't part of the family. I didn't expect to receive any as well; but anyway, I got the treat.

"Now he was a Samaritan." - Luke 17:16

I remembered this childhood story of mine as I read the passage of the healing of the ten lepers. After Jesus's miracle, only one came back and gave thanks to Him. The story highlights as well that that only man was a Samaritan - a foreigner and an outcast. Yet, it was he who recognized the blessings and had the initiative to go back and thank the One who healed him.

Such is the case for us sometimes. When it's so familiar to us, we sometimes forget to be thankful of what we already have and think we deserve - even forgetting to simply thank the giver! At other times, when we recognize we do not deserve something, we are more thankful of the things we receive. How weird we can be sometimes.

The message of the Gospel underscored today is simple. The love of the Lord is for everyone. Sinners and saints - He loves us all. His love is inclusive and His love does great things for us. It is my prayer not to forget to thank Him at every moment I remember His goodness for me! I pray that this may be our disposition as we welcome each day of our lives.

"I will bless the Lord at all time; His praise shall continually be in my mouth." - Psalms 34:1

constants

*insert quotes and cliches on change here*

There are only a few constants in this world: God, family, and change, among a few others.
Today, I'm sincerely grateful for the second one in the list.

Rexxie, Cynthia, Rey, Reggie

thankful Thursdays

This is not a new movement. This occurred to me a while back and I realized it was impossible if nobody else thought about it. True enough, if you search online, Thursday is not only becoming a day when people uncover the wackiest throwback pictures from the past but also a day when they flesh out the wonderful things that are happening in the present.

It's hard enough to go over an ordinary day and find the good things one is thankful for, what more on a day riddled with stress, struggles or emptiness. Nevertheless, I hope starting this series of posts will get me to continue to find God and His goodness in everything in every moment of every day.

I am thankful I woke up on time despite my recent difficulty to sleep earlier at night.
I am thankful for safe trips to and from work.
I am thankful to have had a productive mindset at work today given my lack of nourishment and sleep.
I am thankful that my current workplace has a chapel that celebrates mass daily where I can receive the Sacrament of the Eucharist.
I am thankful for His assurance that He is with us and that He answers our pleas.
I am thankful that the office hours at work allot break times in the morning and afternoon which gave me windows to get some shut-eye and recover a bit earlier today.
I am thankful for jolly colleagues that kept me alive throughout the day.
I am thankful for a stress-free day that gave me the opportunity to go home early to get some rest.
I am thankful for a heart that is open and honest to feelings of regret and frustration amid personal challenges.
I am thankful for a generous brother, a caring and patient father, and a brave and strong mother.
I am thankful for a strong relationship within my family despite the distance among us.
I am thankful for the time spent with Him today to just listen and thank Him for His wonderful gifts.

I end today with a grateful heart. I hope you will too. What are you thankful for today? 

"There is always something to pray about...Until you die, you always have a past 24 hours..." - Dennis Hamm, SJ