Better Than Self-talk

   

Ash Wednesday

05 March 2025

 

First Reading: Joel 2:12-18

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 12-13, 14 and 17

Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:20-6;2

Gospel: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

 

Reflection

By: Anabelle P. Balla

 

I struggle with overthinking and intense emotions in some  days. I have tried several methods to regain my equilibrium and find peace amidst the chaos.

I tried writing down my thoughts to unload the burdens in my head, giving me a clearer perspective on my worries and anxieties. This helped me organize my thoughts and reduce my stress levels. Whenever I feel overwhelmed with emotions, I take a pause, breathe, and try to write down or process how I feel and why. This somehow brings me a sense of relief and clarity.

I do self-talk as well. I use self-talk for various reasons, such as comforting myself in a calm and reassuring manner or brainstorming solutions to problems, or when confronting myself for perceived mistakes that I did.

However, I found an even more profound way to deal with life's emotional landscape which is my daily and frequent informal conversations with God. These conversations are normally spontaneous where I reach out to Him whenever and however I can.

When I am happy, I give thanks to Him, no matter where I am or what I am doing. When I am confused, worried, or sad, I would reach out to Him, lift things up and ask for help. When I need ideas, I ask for an inspiration. When I struggle with vanity, self-centeredness, and addictions in worldly things, I turn to Him for help to grant me better control of myself, of my worldly desires. I would bring up to Him even the smallest things. When I see His beautiful creation, even the tiniest grass, leaves or flowers, I can't help but give thanks. And I don't need to kneel and be formal in doing all these. I feel like He is with me all the time, so close and can hear everything that I say, even in silence. It has become an automatic impulse to turn to Him, as if He is part of me. And I am glad of this realization for I cannot imagine navigating life without His guidance, blessings, and protection.

So yes, prayer or frequent conversation with God has helped me better. I am given better perspectives inspired by the Holy Spirit when I reach out to Him. He calms my heart, gives peace of mind, and comforts my soul, drawing me closer to Him. He is my compassionate, loving, and merciful Listener Who is Most Powerful and makes things happen for me.

Talking to Him benefits my entire being, and I am grateful for His favor despite my unworthiness. I believe He also favors everyone. We just need to reach out to Him and humbly seek His forgiveness and blessings. And today, Ash Wednesday, is a good day to start.

I love the Lord; He is filled with compassion.

Prayer

Father, thank You for listening to my mumblings every now and then. Forgive me if I get distracted while talking to You. Help me spend quality time of worship to You, in Jesus' Name. Amen.

Bawal ang Nakasimangot

Ash Wednesday 26 February 2020
First reading Joel 2:12-18

“Now, now,” says the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.”

Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and repents of evil. Who knows whether he will not turn and repent, and leave a blessing behind him, a cereal offering and a drink offering for the Lord, your God?

Blow the trumpet in Zion; sanctify a fast; call a solemn assembly; gather the people. Sanctify the congregation; assemble the elders; gather the children, even nursing infants.

Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber. Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep and say, “Spare your people, O Lord, and make not your heritage a reproach, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, `Where is their God?'” Then the Lord became jealous for his land, and had pity on his people.

Second reading                                                         2 Corinthians 5:20 — 6:2

We are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

As we work together with him, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain. For he says, “At an acceptable time I have listened to you, and on a day of salvation I have helped you.” See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation!

Gospel                                                                         Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

Jesus said to his disciples, “Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven. So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Reflection

By Pietro S. Albano

It seems to me that the humorous warning Bawal ang nakasimangot (No frowning allowed) posted in some public places in the Philippines originated from God. In Genesis (4:5-8), God asked Cain why he scowled when Abel's offering were accepted by God instead of Cain's. In today's Gospel, Jesus criticized the hypocrites for disfiguring their faces to make it obvious that they were fasting.

Lent is upon us once again! Indeed, the practices of prayer, almsgiving, and fasting come into the fore. And as the weeks go by, our Lenten observance becomes more intense and reaches its climax in Holy Week.

Jesus doesn't see any problem with these practices. What displeased Him was the hypocrites using these practices to advance their own agenda, as though ticking a checklist of things to do. They practiced these noble works out of obligation, nothing more, nothing less. And because "It's just obligation", I would imagine them feeling napipilitan (forced) to do these. With this kind of feeling, comes unhappiness. And what better way of showing unhappiness? Sumimangot (frown)!

Jesus' warning to His followers is still relevant to our times. There is a danger that our Lenten practices would turn us into hypocrites, that we behave "holier than thou". Let's ask for the grace to understand why we are doing these practices and to weed out the wrong from the right reasons. Doing so, we will be filled with happiness. And if we are happy in our prayer life, in reaching out to the poor, and in doing sacrifices such as fasting and abstinence, that just means one thing: we love God.

Prayer

Merciful Father, cleanse our hearts from pride and hypocrisy so that we may observe this holy season with a smile in our faces and love in our hearts. In Jesus' Name.  Amen. 

A reminder to All

Ash Wednesday 10 February 2016

First reading   Joel 2:12-18

‘Now, now – it is the Lord who speaks –
come back to me with all your heart,
fasting, weeping, mourning.’
Let your hearts be broken, not your garments torn,
turn to the Lord your God again,
for he is all tenderness and compassion,
slow to anger, rich in graciousness,
and ready to relent.
Who knows if he will not turn again, will not relent,
will not leave a blessing as he passes,
oblation and libation
for the Lord your God?
Sound the trumpet in Zion!
Order a fast,
proclaim a solemn assembly,
call the people together,
summon the community,
assemble the elders,
gather the children,
even the infants at the breast.
Let the bridegroom leave his bedroom
and the bride her alcove.
Between vestibule and altar let the priests,
the ministers of the Lord, lament.
Let them say,
‘Spare your people, Lord!
Do not make your heritage a thing of shame,
a byword for the nations.
Why should it be said among the nations,
“Where is their God?”’
Then the Lord, jealous on behalf of his land,
took pity on his people.

Psalm                                                                            Psalm 50:3-6,12-14,17

               

Second reading                                                          2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2

We are ambassadors for Christ; it is as though God were appealing through us, and the appeal that we make in Christ’s name is: be reconciled to God. For our sake God made the sinless one into sin, so that in him we might become the goodness of God. As his fellow workers, we beg you once again not to neglect the grace of God that you have received. For he says: At the favourable time, I have listened to you; on the day of salvation I came to your help. Well, now is the favourable time; this is the day of salvation.

Gospel                                                                       Matthew 6:1-6,16-18

Jesus said to his disciples:
  ‘Be careful not to parade your good deeds before men to attract their notice; by doing this you will lose all reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give alms, do not have it trumpeted before you; this is what the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win men’s admiration. I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you give alms, your left hand must not know what your right is doing; your almsgiving must be secret, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.
  ‘And when you pray, do not imitate the hypocrites: they love to say their prayers standing up in the synagogues and at the street corners for people to see them; I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you pray, go to your private room and, when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in that secret place, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.
  ‘When you fast do not put on a gloomy look as the hypocrites do: they pull long faces to let men know they are fasting. I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that no one will know you are fasting except your Father who sees all that is done in secret; and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.’

Reflection  By Pietro S. Albano

As kids, my brother and I were thrilled to have ashes put on our forehead during Ash Wednesday. Not satisfied with the ash we received, we sneaked back to the chapel to put some more ashes!  In the Philippines, being a Catholic country, people won't be surprised why you have an ashen forehead.  The opposite is true when I came to England. 

After returning from church one Ash Wednesday, I have to assist some Chinese students who were organizing their Chinese New Year celebration the same day. Some of them noticed my forehead and asked what the ash was for.  At first, I felt uneasy to explain  - practicing one's faith in this country is something private.  Later on, I began explaining to them what the ash was for and why. Surprisingly, they listened to me intently.  

Indeed, as Fr James Sullivan, OP wrote "[t]he witness of our ashen cross reminds not only ourselves of sin though. It reminds the world, and particularly all those who see the cross on our foreheads.".  

Lent is a time when we are called to give alms, pray, and do penance. By doing these, may God, who sees everything in secret, see in us the authentic reminders of His mercy to all.

Prayer

Merciful Father, You keep on calling us to return to You. Strengthen us through alms giving, prayer, and penance to heed Your call and inspire others to do the same. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Why Worry?

Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time Mar 2
First reading Isaiah 49:14-15 

Zion was saying, ‘The Lord has abandoned me,

the Lord has forgotten me.’

Does a woman forget her baby at the breast,

or fail to cherish the son of her womb?

Yet even if these forget,

I will never forget you.

Psalm                                                                            Psalm 61:2-3,6-9
Second reading                                                        1 Corinthians 4:1-5

People must think of us as Christ’s servants, stewards entrusted with the mysteries of God. What is expected of stewards is that each one should be found worthy of his trust. Not that it makes the slightest difference to me whether you, or indeed any human tribunal, find me worthy or not. I will not even pass judgement on myself. True, my conscience does not reproach me at all, but that does not prove that I am acquitted: the Lord alone is my judge. There must be no passing of premature judgement. Leave that until the Lord comes; he will light up all that is hidden in the dark and reveal the secret intentions of men’s hearts. Then will be the time for each one to have whatever praise he deserves, from God.

Gospel                                                                         Matthew 6:24-34 

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘No one can be the slave of two masters: he will either hate the first and love the second, or treat the first with respect and the second with scorn. You cannot be the slave both of God and of money.

  ‘That is why I am telling you not to worry about your life and what you are to eat, nor about your body and how you are to clothe it. Surely life means more than food, and the body more than clothing! Look at the birds in the sky. They do not sow or reap or gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they are? Can any of you, for all his worrying, add one single cubit to his span of life? And why worry about clothing? Think of the flowers growing in the fields; they never have to work or spin; yet I assure you that not even Solomon in all his regalia was robed like one of these. Now if that is how God clothes the grass in the field which is there today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, will he not much more look after you, you men of little faith? So do not worry; do not say, “What are we to eat? What are we to drink? How are we to be clothed?” It is the pagans who set their hearts on all these things. Your heavenly Father knows you need them all. Set your hearts on his kingdom first, and on his righteousness, and all these other things will be given you as well. So do not worry about tomorrow: tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.’

Reflection by Mark Vertido

Just three days from now, we will be entering the Season of Lent through the Ash Wednesday. Let us start reflecting once more on the greatest gifts  given to us by Christ, Salvation and Eternal Life with God.

The Psalmist gives a very simple yet striking summary of today’s Gospel: “Rest in God alone, my soul.” Jesus tells us in the Gospel that we can never serve two masters at the same time. God or money, we need to choose one. This is a challenge for a culture that has grown believing that money makes the world go round.

God invites us to live according to His will by trusting fully in Him alone. Many times, it seems that God has forgotten and forsaken us. With all the conflicts and worries of the world: poverty, crime, war, oppression, and suffering, we sometimes ask, “Where is God in all of these?” That is the same question that the First Reading is trying to present. In the midst of our doubts about our God, we are being reminded that God is not like us humans who forget easily.

Living an independent life is never easy. When I moved to Manila for work, I worry a lot of what will happen tomorrow especially about my status as a faculty member. It came to a point that I was already giving up. I felt that God has forsaken me. But then God cleared those doubts away and gave me an assurance that He is my hope and that I need not worry, I just need to trust Him fully. Many things have happened to me that made me suffer and grieve a lot. But in all of these, I tried to ask God’s help and guidance and He never stopped working in my life. Last December, my health problem struck me once more. I have Hypokalemia Periodic Paralysis which could attack any moment and it happened on the night of Christmas. I asked God to heal me completely by morning for I need to attend to my affairs. When I woke up, the pain is gone!

This is what the Gospel asks of us. We don’t need to worry what tomorrow brings and should focus on the present. We need to live in the present and trust God to guide us in solving our problems, to take care of our needs. If we can only see the small blessings that God gives us every day, our problems will surely be outnumbered by the graciousness of God. He looks after the birds in the sky and the flowers in the field, He will also look after all of us who are made in His own image. He loves us so much that He gave us His only begotten Son for the sake of our Salvation.

As we begin trusting God, we will encounter problems along the way. Let us remain faithful. Let us set our hearts in seeking righteousness by becoming servants of Christ and stewards of the works of God. If we trust fully in His Providence, everything will follow.

Prayer

For our prayer, let us dwell on the words of the Psalmist: “My soul rest in God alone, my salvation comes from Him. He alone is my rock, my salvation, my fortress. I shall never be afraid!”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7qwJ9YT70g

Repentance and Forgiveness

Ash Wednesday
17 February 2010


Come, today, and listen to his voice: do not harden your hearts.

First reading Joel 2:12-18
‘Now, now – it is the Lord who speaks –
come back to me with all your heart,
fasting, weeping, mourning.’
Let your hearts be broken, not your garments torn,
turn to the Lord your God again,
for he is all tenderness and compassion,
slow to anger, rich in graciousness,
and ready to relent.
Who knows if he will not turn again, will not relent,
will not leave a blessing as he passes,
oblation and libation
for the Lord your God?
Sound the trumpet in Zion!
Order a fast,
proclaim a solemn assembly,
call the people together,
summon the community,
assemble the elders,
gather the children,
even the infants at the breast.
Let the bridegroom leave his bedroom
and the bride her alcove.
Between vestibule and altar let the priests,
the ministers of the Lord, lament.
Let them say,
‘Spare your people, the Lord!
Do not make your heritage a thing of shame,
a byword for the nations.
Why should it be said among the nations,
“Where is their God?”’
Then the Lord, jealous on behalf of his land,
took pity on his people.

Psalm or canticle: Psalm 50:3-6,12-14,17

Second reading 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2
We are ambassadors for Christ; it is as though God were appealing through us, and the appeal that we make in Christ’s name is: be reconciled to God. For our sake God made the sinless one into sin, so that in him we might become the goodness of God. As his fellow workers, we beg you once again not to neglect the grace of God that you have received. For he says: At the favourable time, I have listened to you; on the day of salvation I came to your help. Well, now is the favourable time; this is the day of salvation.

Gospel Matthew 6:1-6,16-18
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘Be careful not to parade your good deeds before men to attract their notice; by doing this you will lose all reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give alms, do not have it trumpeted before you; this is what the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win men’s admiration. I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you give alms, your left hand must not know what your right is doing; your almsgiving must be secret, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.
‘And when you pray, do not imitate the hypocrites: they love to say their prayers standing up in the synagogues and at the street corners for people to see them; I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you pray, go to your private room and, when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in that secret place, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.
‘When you fast do not put on a gloomy look as the hypocrites do: they pull long faces to let men know they are fasting. I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that no one will know you are fasting except your Father who sees all that is done in secret; and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.’

Reflection
By Benj Santiago

Ash Wednesday which marks the beginning of Lent, continually reminds me of the undying love and mercy of our Lord God! It is a call to repentance, sincere prayers, fasting, sacrifice, abstinence, and forgiveness.

It is exhilarating to have community praise and worship. My spirit is lifted up and it feels great. Private prayers in the quiet of my room are also equally rewarding. I feel His forgiving hands touch my soul. Many blessings in my life and in the life of other people I prayed for in private had been granted. And how do we pray? “But when you pray, go to your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what you do in private, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:6)

As to repentance and forgiveness of my sins, I know that even before I ask for forgiveness He has already forgiven me. “But even now, says the Lord, repent sincerely and return to me with fasting and weeping and mourning.” Let your broken heart show your sorrow: tearing your clothes is not enough. Come back to the Lord Your God. He is kind and full of mercy; He is patient and keeps His promise. He is always ready to forgive and not punish.” (Joel 2:12-13). We only have to remember this , “Sincerity and truth are what You require; fill my mind with Your wisdom.” (Psalm 51:6)

What is the best sacrifice we can offer? “My sacrifice is a humble spirit, O God. You will not reject a humble and repentant heart. “ (Psalm 51:17)

And finally, what is our reward? Hear what God says: ”When time came for me to show you favor, I heard you, I helped you.” Listen! This is the hour to receive God’s favor; today is the day to be saved!” (2 Corinthians 6:2)


Lord God, thank You for giving us the wisdom to pray with sincerity and truth. We are truly repentant sinners and we believe in Your mercy and kindness. You are our loving Father who is always ready to forgive. Who is always there to provide for what we need and save us from evil. Continue to bless us with courage and strength that we may do the same to our fellowmen. Amen.

Next week on God-speak
Guilty