For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD." - PSALM 117:1-2
Praise the Lord!
The Lord is always gracious and merciful, so He deserves all our praise and glory, and more.
It has been a while since my last blog entry, and how I missed it!
The last two months has been busy for me.
September was a project-filled month at work.
Last month, I was finally able to see my family when I went home for a brief moment. It was both busy and fun. Got to see a few friends too, and my special someone.
This month, we were busy with a relative's wedding and I was with relatives who flew in for the wedding and stayed for more than 2 weeks. We had bonding moments and ate a lot!
Having fun can also be exhausting. Unhealthy eating can take a toll on one's health.
During that time, I also learned my mom was pushing through with surgery back home. That one made me sad, anxious. I was with her in her last surgery when she had her ovaries removed and I also wanted to be with her this time but I am too far away. Major or minor, it's hard to be away from a family member during a time like that.
All I can do is pray, to lift it to God.
Add to that, I felt lonely seeing the victims of typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) on television. I remembered what we experienced when Typhoon Ondoy flooded our house. But these people had their homes and livelihood destroyed. :(
One time, as I was going home, I felt nauseous, maybe a mix of tiredness, worry, and the effect of unhealthy eating habits. Mostly when I feel sick, my mind wanders a lot. And it complains, and focuses on the negative things, which I hate. So I usually pray to God that I want to rest in His Love.
During that particular nauseous episode at the bus, my mind did not stop thinking negative thoughts. So what I did was to praise God! Yes, pray God for the nausea, for all the things happening in my life - both good and bad.
Just like a miracle, I felt the nausea slowly going away.
Praise is healing, praying is healing.
Praise God, my mother's surgery went well and she is recuperating at home.
Most of the time, I still forget that FAITH is the best antidote to worry and fear.
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A few months ago, I dedicated my morning commute time to praying the rosary.
Praying during commute gives me peace. Although my mind still wanders, it focuses on the positive rather than mindless things that can only worry me.
One time, I had a reflection while praying the Catholic prayers "Our Father" and "Hail Mary".
Both of these prayers are prayers that start with praise :
"Our Father, who art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name"
Then we affirm His greatness and presence:
"Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be Done on Earth as it is in heaven"
Hallowed means sanctified, greatly honored.
In Hail Mary, we pray:
"Hail Mary, full of grace"
"Blessed are you among women"
After praising, then comes supplication.
"Give us this day our daily bread"
"Forgive us our trespasses"
"Pray for us sinners now and at the hour of death"
These prayers teach us how to communicate.
We should always start with praise. This should be how we communicate not only to our God but to people, because we are brothers and sisters in Christ.
Find what is praiseworthy and tell it to people.
Stop the gossip, stop the blame, stop the backstabbing.
Focus on what is praiseworthy!
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In the church group, where I belonged to, CFC Singles for Christ (I am not yet a member here in my new town), we were taught the prayer ACTS.
A is for adoration. We adore Christ for all He is and what He does in our life.
C is for contrition. We ask forgiveness for our sins.
T is for thanksgiving. We thank God for all His blessings.
S is for supplication. We ask for favors based on His grace and will.
In supplication, let us not forget to pray for others. Surely we are blessed because someone else prayed for us.
I remember my late paternal grandmother, Lola Petra, who every night prays for us, her grandchildren. She remembers all our names and prays for us chronologically, from eldest to the youngest grandchild.
Prayers do work, as all of us are doing good in our careers and family life.
ACTS - a brief guide on how to pray.
Our life is a prayer. We praise, make mistakes, are grateful, need help.
Let us make a life a beautiful prayer.
