Team Jesus

Sometimes in life, we wonder what God is really telling us to do? Where is life exactly leading us? Which path are we supposed to take? Jesus said, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” And then we start to think, are we even qualified or capable of being fishers of men? The world is a tough place to live in and we often feel a little or quite lost. But the truth is, we are never lost. It is God we most seek and desire. Often times, we run around in our lives like headless creatures and going after all sorts of things around in this world yet always fail to gain satisfaction.Often times, we can’t seem to hear God’s call. Who can blame us? How would we even know if it is God that’s calling us? And when we finally get to hear God’s call, are we brave enough to follow Him or do we try to run like what Jonah did? I have been wondering what God really wants me to do. It has been almost 3 years since I graduated college. I have had three jobs, one of which was temporary, anot...

Today's Gospel tells us about the meeting of Jesus, and three of His apostles, John, Andrew and Simon Peter. Jesus asked the apostles, "What are you looking for?" They answered, "Rabbi (teacher)". The apostles, in return, asked Jesus, "Where are you staying?” He said to them, "Come, and you will see." In our time today, we tend to be so equipped with a lot of worldly things that we forget what we really ought to do in this world. We tend to be self-centered that we ignore the needs of others and focus on our personal needs. With that, we must pause for a moment and ask ourselves this question: What am I looking for? Sometimes, we get so overwhelmed by the material things that call our attention that we forget to devote our time with the Lord. I, unfortunately, am guilty of that. Because of so many things to be done in school, plus the temptation that is social media, I sometimes forget to pause, say a prayer and have a deep and heart to hea...

Today’s’ gospel talks about how John the Baptist proclaimed himself as a man of God and how a swarm of people came out to hear him and to further be influenced by him. John the Baptist was proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. This baptism symbolizes an act that should be accompanied by a change deep within us and in the way we look at the purpose of life and how we live it ourselves. It is closely related to repentance which we usually comprehend as “being sorry” for something we have done. Well, I hate to break it to everyone but, repentance and baptism is more than just a clean slate and saying you’re sorry. The same way goes for God’s forgiveness. It is more than Him wiping out the guilt and remorse and punishment that go with our sins. The damage that our sins do often lasts for a very long time and cannot be undone. As humans, it is normal for us to make mistakes. As for me,  I've  been really good at making them. Often, we find ourse...

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” In the gospel, John was sent by God for testimony. For him to be a witness of the life that God said which was the light of the human race. John was sent to make the people of God believe that all things came to be through God and without God we are nothing. It is also said that Jesus Christ is the truth and through Him, we see God’s love and fidelity. Another year has passed, a year full of ups and downs. Though we experienced some challenges, let us welcome the New Year by thanking God for His faithfulness and His unending love. Serving the Lord may not be easy but let’s keep in mind that those who accept God and those who believe in His name is given the power to become God’s children. Together, let’s continue to be living witnesses of God’s love. Happy new year! -Erika Paragoso