The Little Treasure Box of Baptism

Peace be with you! 

I beheld in my heart this battered, little box. It was like a jewelry box, extremely worn. The wood of the box might have been polished once long ago. And it may have been quite ornate.

But now, it was just a plain old, little wooden box.

My Parents and my Godparents must have given this box to me after my Confirmation; the day when I was supposed to have come of age in the Faith of our Mother Church.

They had received it for me in the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit - in my stead - during my Baptism. That was, I was told, when I was still very little - a babe in their arms.

Which must be true because I couldn't remember much of it. I even had to decide for myself to give myself my own Confirmation name because no one could tell me what it was.

Maximilian Mary.

So all I know to tell you, Beloved of God in Jesus Christ, is that I have it - my worn, old, little, treasure box of Baptism. And it was given to me because it was mine to have.

All my life, I assumed it was just one of those little souvenirs one usually get at parties and the like. So I tucked it away somewhere in a corner of my soul.

At times I hid it when it suited me. After all, I might get embarrassed by it. Friends might disapprove, I feared. And I want to be accepted.

Then one day I noticed it has a keyhole.

I've never in my life even thought about opening it. And to be honest, I did not know whether I had a key for it or not. I wasn't at all interested in it, you seen... until now. What was inside it?

With so much things going on in my heart and in my mind, never until now did it occur to me - once upon a calm and quiet moment - in the Stillness in the stillness - that this battered, old box is actually mine. It's mine, yes! But what was inside it?

Many times I seem to have either lost or traded away this hardy, little box. Now, I realize it is still with me. For there were other, newer boxes, you see. Seemingly better ones, more expensive looking. Not that one should compare, mind you. Covetousness leads to certain grief. Besides, the human soul may only accommodate one box, just one box each after all. I respect that.

We can not all be the same. But the fruits that all of us must bear must be edible and good - yes, just the same. Freedom in plurality, flourishes in unity: I respect that, too.

Why did this particular box doggedly resolved to stay with me - all this time, or maybe I with it? I wondered and so I wondered, and the mystery grew. Maybe it was meant to be opened after all...

What was inside it?

So I resolved to learn all about it. And I did. And in my seeking, I also did happen upon the key. It was with me all the time. It was my faith seeking understanding. So I gave the box a chance and it opened itself to my heart - and out poured the treasury of the Church and out came a vision of me.

The me my Jesus had intended for me to be - forever. The new me. Old looks but a new heart. Common outside extraordinary inside.

And with this new me came new relationships - precious as the proven, older ones.

In the one, great family of the Catholic Church, I discovered a new sense of bravery and friendship. I love the new me. And I knew this is my peace. It's true and it's mine.

More and more these days, I find myself no longer living in fear. I know my Jesus. He knows me. That little box set my spirit free.

If you're a cradle Catholic. You are like me. And most probably, no - most certainly, you have heard of the little treasure box of Baptism. Open it.

Yeah, our interior life too - is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you get... till you...

Amen to God, adoration to Jesus Christ.
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A Church of Greater Things

A Faith of little things, that's us - a Church of greater things, that's us too.



Love in the truth - Realize in reality the Love that shines from Eternity and see Beauty reflected in the little things and love it back - embracing it all.

Love us All, darling Starshine - for in our smallness, in our needs - we can dream. There is beauty in every human hoping - and in our togetherness - strength in our common believing, it shall be well.

Smile and feel the radiance of a smile. Feel the warmth of human faith in believing, all shall be well... Learn to miss it - long to fill the skies above thy soul with it - serving with all thy heart. 

Learn to look for thy happiness in the happiness of others. Dream two dreams, one for thy self and one for such as thy self - make them one: God is, and that is all!

Say to the sinner, O I love you anyways! - For in Christ, I hope all things for you - let us first remain in God and all things we shall through Him overcome - together, always together in Jesus Christ, the Lord.

We shall be great, O little Church, strong in spite of our littleness and despite our individual failings and our spiritual woundedness - forgiven - beyond reach of doubt - a thousand times over - and made whole by our God - out of love of us - yes, for love of All of us - together - so let us be one in this hope: Victory is won at the Cross! - once and forever - so let us be joined in this - just one belief, one victorious heart of prayer!

Say to the evils of this world, I know you now - so therefore, I shall seek to no longer understand you, O sin of the world, but shall have unfailing recourse to the everlasting Truth of my Savior and the reality of my God and Father to my heart - so leave us be, O Adversary of all the living souls - for I serve thee not - and leave my brothers and sisters alone - for I am their keeper.

Receive the Peace of the one Redeemer of Mankind - and know, O Christian, that thy gift belongs to all Nations - cherish all human community and embrace their very human hopes - weep for brokenness and be the salt that preserves - work for healing and be the light that leads - grow in Justice, shine in Love - live in present Memory of God and of each other - pray for thine enemies, give them hope - for they are restless - know their evil and abhor it - but become the freedom they never knew.

Fall and stand right up - and be chastened by thy failings - cling to thy faith, and do this without count - forgive as thou art forgiven - calling out to God for strength and forever trusting in Him - go discern the unfailing grace of the LORD in the darkness of thy soul and you shall know joy - Light in the darkness - and when you know, my darling, your interior skies shall be filled with stars, God with us - Come and see! 

Develop a Marian character and you shall multiply this joy - strength unto the Morning.
---<--@

"Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” - Matthew 17: 20


Mabuhay ang ating Santo Papa Francisco!

Catholic Lay Spirituality in the 21st Century

"Duc in altum!" - "Set forth into the deep!"

- Luke 5: 4

This is the Century of the Holy Spirit -

Adoramus te, Christe, et benedicemus tibi; quia per sanctam Crucem tuam redemisti mundum - We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, because by your holy Corss, you have redeemed the world.

1. To be able to articulate and defend the faith of the Roman Catholic Church:

• To strive ceaselessly to hear ever more clearly God's Word, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, taking that Word to heart and shaping one's life according to it.

• To speak about the faith and even instruct, strengthen, and motivate others, not only non-believers, but fellow Christians as well and to manifest Christ's message by words and deeds and to communicate His grace to the world.

• To lead others - not only non-believers but fellow Christians - to a deeper faith, not simply by our words but also by our deeds, making the Gospel known and more holy through the witness of an exemplary life.

2. To be appreciative of the true value of all of God's creation:

• To learn the deepest meaning and value of all creation, and how to relate it to the praise and glory of God.

• To be appreciative of our own humanity and the mysteries of being human: the body, feeling, emotion, love, sex, work, play, community celebration, art, science, the aspirations of the human mind and the longings of the human heart.

• To work to see that created goods are more fittingly distributed among men and women and in our own way lead to general progress in human and Christian liberty.

• To establish firmly in our hearts the kingdom of God wherein all creation itself will be delivered out of the slavery to corruption and into the freedom of the sons and daughters of God.

3. To be zealous in building a better world for all men, women and children:

• To struggle to free ourselves from the value system of our society - whatever it may be - in order to judge and act by the justice of God and the norms of the Gospel.

• To bear witness to the power and glory of Christian love for the inspiration of others.

• To promote the unity of all Christians and dialogue with non-Christians and non-believers.

• To be dedicated in a special way, with authentic mercy, to the defense of freedom, to social justice and peace, and above all the defense of human dignity, to remedying the different forms of suffering, to relieving the misery of those suffering injustice, working assiduously to change the institutions of society that generate suffering, whether it be economic, psychic, social, moral, or spiritual.

• To pursue a social order marked by justice, peace, and freedom for each human being, regardless of race, sex, age, or other distinction and to imbue culture and human activities with moral value.

---<--@

Refer to Internet Article: Dominican Spirituality and Vatican II Expectations of Lay People with much thanks to God and utmost appreciation to the charism of our Holy Father Dominic de Guzman made present in Christopher Kiesling, O.P.