HOW TO BE YOU

“Dean Pax, how to be you po?” This is a recurring question every time I do a public seminar. But you can never be like me, Bo Sanchez, or anyone else. You can only be the best version of yourself.

After high school, my grandma wanted me to become a priest, and my uncle wanted me to join the U.S. Navy. But my mother told me to follow my heart. I didn’t realize that my education and career prepared me for what I was predestined. God made me a unique teacher and mentor (sometimes tormentor). Of course, I didn’t know this purpose beforehand. Only when I retired from corporate life did I discover who I really am. In midlife, God made me the BEST OF ME: B-ackground, E-ducation, S-trengths, T-ime to work on God-given gifts, O-pportunities, F-ailures turned to lessons, M-astery of added value skills, and E-xperiences.

You can only connect your life dots moving backwards, Steve Jobs said. Trust that your choices connect to the dots God planned for you. You can only do that by praying for His guidance daily. Dean Pax Lapid (mentors@lead-more.com)

reflect

Have you discovered your God-given purpose?

Father God, guide me and give me the wisdom to know Your plans and purpose for my life. Amen.

Saint Adrian, pray for us.

God’s greatness and goodness extend to all people beyond the Israelites in the Old Testament. At that time, this may not have been expressed in terms of including all people under the grace of God. But today is different. Jesus died on the cross for the salvation of everyone.

¹ The Lord says: You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah too small to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel; whose origin is from of old, from ancient times. ² (Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time when she who is to give birth has borne, and the rest of his brethren shall return to the children of Israel.) ³ He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock by the strength of the Lord, in the majestic name of the Lord, his God; and they shall remain, for now his greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth; ⁴ he shall be peace.

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 13:6, 6

R: With delight I rejoice in the Lord.

⁶ Though I trusted in your mercy, let my heart rejoice in your salvation. (R) Let me sing of the Lord, “He has been good to me.” (R)

Gospel | Matthew 1:18-23 (or Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23)

Life for Mary and Joseph must have been challenging when she conceived by the grace of the Holy Spirit. Let us draw strength from their example of perseverance and obedience to God’s will, particularly when we face our own struggles and trials. Let us surrender to God and trust He will show us the way forward.

Gospel Acclamation

Blessed are you, holy Virgin Mary, deserving of all praise; from you rose the sun of justice, Christ our God.

¹⁸ This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. ²⁰ Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. ²¹ She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” ²² All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ²³ Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means “God is with us.”

Read the Bible in one year! Read JEREMIAH 4 - 6 today.

AVE Maria!

Today is the birthday of Mama Mary. All over the Philippines today, Masses will be celebrated in her honor, flowers will be offered, and “Ave Maria” will ring out in churches filled with devotees. “Ave” is a greeting of honor, of good wishes and good tidings. “Hail” is the close English equivalent. Today, I propose the following meaning:

A – ACCEPT

Acceptance of the divine invitation is the hallmark of Mary’s discipleship. “I am the maidservant of the Lord, let it be done unto me as you wish” (Luke 1:38), Mary said at the Annunciation. In Latin we call her acceptance fiat (May it be done). Acceptance is trust and confidence in God’s providence. We entrust our lives into His hands because those who do will see God’s hand in everything.

V – Vacate

To vacate is to be empty. To vacate is to rid ourselves of all that is unnecessary so that the unum necessarium—the One that truly matters—might take His place in our lives. It is not an accident that virginity and barrenness figure prominently in God’s plan of salvation. The empty womb of a virgin and a barren woman is a symbol of a fruitful vacancy for God in our lives.

E – Elect

To elect is to choose. Mary may have been chosen, but being chosen needs to be validated by a corresponding choice. It is not enough to be chosen. We need to keep choosing in return. To elect is to orient our power of choice to what is true, good, and beautiful. Mary elected to accept being the mother of Jesus. And she elected to stand by Jesus until the end, unto the cross.

Mary Accepted, Vacated, and Elected. That is why she deserves our admiration and imitation. That is why to her we sing, “AVE!” Fr. Joel O. Jason

reflection questions

To sing “AVE” is not simply a pious and harmless chant. It is subversive actually. It is a challenge to accept, vacate, and elect God at all times and situations.

AVE Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum. Amen.

Today, I pray for: _______________________________________________