Are you listening?

THE PARISH priest was showing me around his church, and when we came to the garden, he said with much pride that his next project was to make a "garden of scents." Not quite sure if I heard him right, I said, "Oh, you mean a garden with so many flowers with different fragrances?"

"No, I will make a garden of scents," he insisted.

"Ah, you mean, like a garden with aromatic therapy?" I asked.

"No" he said, "I will make a garden depicting the lives of scents, you know, like St. Francis, St. Joseph, St. Claire and many more!"

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In today's Gospel (Jn. 10, 27-30), the Lord talks about His sheep who hear His voice. Are you one of the sheep who really hear His voice? No? That's because you are not listening or, maybe, because you are selectively listening. The precepts of the Lord are clear and audible, but our hearing is often wanting or lacking, or altogether evasive and elusive. We do know what is right and wrong, but often we refuse to choose what is right because it is easier to choose what is wrong. Hey, are you listening?

* * *

It is not enough to hear and listen. We must obey. If we look into our lives, there were times when we disobeyed God, and you and I must admit that those were the times we most regret now. Sin is basically refusing God's love and choosing the pleasurable, the easy and the comfortable, the precise and sure stuff that make our lives miserable.

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With only eight days to go before the elections, expect a lot of snatching to happen. The most handy bait of course is money and the promise of power. Where is Satan these days? According to my sources, he is on vacation, somewhere. With all the money being released and peddled around these days, he wouldn't need to be personally present. His agents (secret and public) will do all the work for him! When money talks, a lot of people are silent or are silenced. Money also blinds the eyes, and deafens the ears. A lot of people will be snared and snatched by the lure of money and power especially these days. Some people will literally give and do anything, as in anything, in order to win in the coming elections. The bottom line is: What does it profit a person to win the elections and in the end lose his/her soul?

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The May 10 elections will come and go. And then what? Either you won or you lost, right? If you lost, well, that's too bad.

But if you won with all the dirty tricks, well that's really, really bad. So you got your seat or retained your seat, but if you stepped on, fooled, bought, or even eliminated people in the process, then you have been "snatched from the Father's hand." Are you listening? Is it worth it all?

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After all the shouting and fighting shall have subsided, if you can say, "I and the Father are one," then blessed are you! In everything we do, we must not lose sight of the Big Picture. The Big Picture is that we did not take God out of the picture.

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Jesus promised that His sheep who follow Him will nor perish. Last Friday morning, a lost sheep found His way into the fold. I was there to welcome him with the sacrament of reconciliation. This, by far, is one of the biggest, if not the biggest "catch" I've ever had. You name it, he's done it all, over and over again. But also I have never met someone with so much humility and sincerity. I don't know how he will fare from this time on. All I know is that he has placed himself in the Father's hand. That is all that matters, for now.

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Death is painful. But one of the most painful moments is when, after the loved one has died, the family has to go about the process of choosing the coffin, the clothes, etc. for the deceased. When I heard about the death of Mama Fely Biason, I passed by their house and there found Papa Sixto and his two sons Lito and Mael so stricken by their grief, but so united, too, in their grief.

The three were crying together, hugging together, making decisions together. I can almost see Mama Fely smiling as we prayed together, knowing that her "boys" will be okay and will carry on without her by their side, but so much with them in the Father's heart.

Yes, we are one in the Father, even in death, especially in death.

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We did the Walk with God to Manaoag yesterday from Urdaneta, Pangasinan praying especially for clean, peaceful and honest elections. Let us all work hard and pray hard that the evil one and his agents will not be victorious in their evil intent and schemes. All we are saying is give peace and goodness a chance! May Mama Mary, the Queen of May, enfold the Philippines as we elect our leaders this May!

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A moment with the Lord

Lord, give me a listening ear, and an obedient heart so that at any moment in my life, I can say "I and the Father are one." Amen.