INRI

          "Is INRI his name?"

           I heard a little girl asked her mother after Sunday mass as we passed by the statue of Jesus crucified. These letters are found on the cross above Jesus' head.

            Instinctively, I motioned to look back to answer her when I realized I don't exactly know the meaning of it. I continued to go on my way out and started to ask my self. What answer could have I told the child? Would it be right?

            I decided to make a detour and proceeded back to the Sacristy and ask the priest what is "INRI". He said it means "the Nazarene, the king of the Jews".

            I remember when I was a child, I was wondering why they called him Jesus when INRI is on top of His head. Someone told me that was the spelling of Jesus during His time. Someone also told me the meaning of it is Jesus.

             As a child I accepted those meanings and stopped wondering. Until I started attending catechism. I have learned that those meanings were wrong. But I was no longer interested about its exact meaning. It wasn't important to me anymore. What was more important was how I slowly knew Jesus himself in my heart.

              To me, He wasn't just a Nazarene or a carpenter's son. Aside from being my GOD, I can name Him a lot.To mention some; He is my father; my brother, my best friend, my lover, my companion, my comforter, my saviour, my deliverer, my listener, my encourager, my hope, my shock absorber, my doctor, my financial adviser, my alarm clock and many others.

             He is my Superman! And when I am with Him, I become a Superwoman!

             To you, what is INRI? Who is INRI!?

esCaPe

      Been having a bad day for a couple of days now. Today I woke up feeling not bad but not alright. I don't like going to office anymore. It scares me. I wish it's time for me to resign already. I want to escape and get away from my mistake.  I want to go somewhere where I can find something to solve my problem... and others' problem. I wanted to help but I can't 'cause its obvious that I must be helped yet.

      I'm depressed. I wanted to sleep. I want to stay in solitude. Be silent and yes, eventually cry. But no. I decided against it. Instead I chose to be silent in being noisy. Huh?! I chose to give even if I almost have nothing to give. I went to visit a wake after office instead of being silent in a place.

       I was talking to God the whole day.  Asking Him to fix my misdeed. Give me courage to face the consequence of my misdeed.
      
        Thanks for my prayer warriors.. they are a great help.

        tomorrow I wish to wake up hopeful again...

 

gArBage tRucK

"Gosh! Not again!....It seems like this truck is hunting me."

This happens almost every morning as I walk my way to church. I can't help being impatient. Why is this truck still around on the street in this time of the morning? It should have already finished collecting garbage on the street. Obviously, the people started their work late again.

Actually, what irritates me is the thought that I am fresh and clean in the morning and I am going to walk in the street racing with this garbage truck. Yes, its as good as that since they are stopping on every corner to collect garbage. You could just imagine the smell and the air that surrounds me whenever I pass by them and then when it would pass by me. What I do is to stop breathing and walk faster and pray that the wind would stop blowing or transfer to the other side of the street.

This happened in my previous residence in the neighboring province. Now I live in my hometown. I forgot about it already until I met this truck again while walking to church one morning.

 "Lord, what are you trying to tell me today?" I prayed. Then I started to reflect.

There are not just a few times when  I was also a garbage. Someone that make others' days bad smelling by hurting them through my words and actions. The smell of the garbage is nothing compared to the times that I would offend God and be a beautiful and sexy sinner. (Just making it sound nicer..... than the garbage, of course.)

Jesus as a garbage truck collects all these sins by reminding me about my misdeed and telling me it is time to go back to Him thru the sacrament of reconciliation. He has already paid for all my sins many, many years ago. Every day in the Eucharist I am reminded of this act of Jesus.

From the house, I am clean. On the way I get soaked with the bad air from the garbage truck. When I reach the church, it is then that I will be taking a bath again of God's forgiveness and blessings that will makes me real clean.
 
                   
"Remove my sin and I will be clean; wash me and I will be whiter than snow." 
Psalm 51:07