Faithful Uplift

13/07/2026

Because God can do extraordinary things with a heart that refuses to give up.

People celebrate the trophy but they often miss the dive behind it.

Success is not just about talent. It's about being willing to stretch farther than what's comfortable, to chase what others would have already given up on.

Champions don't always make the spectacular play. They simply refuse to quit on the next ball. And life is like that too.

Sometimes you'll have to dive for opportunities that seem just out of reach.

Sometimes you'll end up on the ground before you ever stand on the podium.

Sometimes you'll give your best and still lose the point.

But grit is not measured by how many times you win. Grit is measured by how many times you are willing to give your all even when there is no guarantee of success.

Kaya I love the story of Alex Eala. She did not become one of the world's rising tennis stars because every shot went her way, not because she won every battle, not because she was able to secure every point.

She became who she is because she kept showing up, kept training, kept believing and kept fighting for every point regardless of the outcome.

The same is true in life.

The dream belongs not just to the talented. It belongs to those who refuse to stop pursuing it.

And victory is not only found in the trophy. Sometimes, victory is found in the courage to dive.

And as the Bible reminds us:
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters." (Colossians 3:23)

Give your all.

Leave nothing on the court.

Because God can do extraordinary things with a heart that refuses to give up.

13/07/2026

People celebrate the trophy but they often miss the dive behind it.

Success is not just about talent. It's about being willing to stretch farther than what's comfortable, to chase what others would have already given up on.

Champions don't always make the spectacular play. They simply refuse to quit on the next ball. And life is like that too.

Sometimes you'll have to dive for opportunities that seem just out of reach.

Sometimes you'll end up on the ground before you ever stand on the podium.

Sometimes you'll give your best and still lose the point.

But grit is not measured by how many times you win. Grit is measured by how many times you are willing to give your all even when there is no guarantee of success.

Kaya I love the story of Alex Eala. She did not become one of the world's rising tennis stars because every shot went her way, not because she won every battle, not because she was able to secure every point.

She became who she is because she kept showing up, kept training, kept believing and kept fighting for every point regardless of the outcome.

The same is true in life.

The dream belongs not just to the talented. It belongs to those who refuse to stop pursuing it.

And victory is not only found in the trophy. Sometimes, victory is found in the courage to dive.

And as the Bible reminds us:
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters." (Colossians 3:23)

Give your all.

Leave nothing on the court.

Because God can do extraordinary things with a heart that refuses to give up.

13/07/2026

This is not about choosing children over animals, nor is it a judgment against those who deeply love their pets. It is about recognizing the distinct role of each within the Church’s worship and ensuring that the celebration of the Holy Eucharist remains centered on Christ.

Pets are not allowed inside the church and within the church premises during the celebration of the Holy Mass.

This policy is rooted not in a disregard for animals, but in our reverence for the sacred liturgy.

Love for animals is a beautiful and commendable expression of our care for God’s creation. As Christians, we are called to treat animals with kindness, respect, and responsible stewardship, recognizing them as gifts from the Creator, following the example of St. Francis of Assisi, who reminded us to see every creature as a gift from God.

At the same time, our care for animals must always remain distinct from the worship and adoration we owe to the Holy Eucharist. We cherish animals because they are God’s creatures; we ADORE the Holy Eucharist because it is God Himself truly present among us.

The parish’s request that animals not be brought into the church or its premises during the celebration of the Holy Mass is not a rejection of animals or a lack of compassion for them.

Rather, it is an expression of our profound love for Christ truly present in the Eucharist and our desire to preserve the sacredness, order, and solemnity of the liturgy while fostering a peaceful and prayerful environment for everyone gathered in worship.

Some have asked why children and even infants are allowed at Mass while pets are not. The two, it bears stressing, are not in the same category within the Church’s life and worship.

Children are baptized members of the Church and an integral part of the worshipping community. Their presence at Mass is not optional; parents have the sacred responsibility of bringing them to participate in the Eucharist and gradually teaching them how to pray, worship, and behave properly and reverently in church. While children can sometimes be noisy or restless, they are persons being formed in the faith, and the Church welcomes them with patience, love, and understanding.

Pets, on the other hand, while they are part of God’s beautiful creation and deserve our care and affection, are not participants in the liturgy. Bringing them to Mass is a personal choice, not a requirement of the Christian faith. Even the most well-behaved pet may unexpectedly bark, move about, trigger allergies, or cause fear or distraction among other worshippers.

Rather than making case-by-case judgments about which pets are “well-behaved,” a general policy is the fairest, most practical, and most pastoral approach for the good of the entire assembly.

This is not about choosing children over animals, nor is it a judgment against those who deeply love their pets. It is about recognizing the distinct role of each within the Church’s worship and ensuring that the celebration of the Holy Eucharist remains centered on Christ.

We need not choose between loving God’s creatures and reverencing God Himself. We are called to do both, but according to their proper order.

Accordingly, while pets are not permitted during the celebration of the Holy Mass, trained service animals assisting persons with disabilities are welcome. Parish personnel may respectfully request reasonable proof or identification that the animal is a trained service animal.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. Your support helps preserve the dignity of our liturgical celebrations and keeps our parish a place of prayer, worship, and a true encounter with the Lord.

“How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts!” (Psalm 84:1)

12/07/2026

Not my will but Yours be done.

Have you ever noticed that almost every children's Bible shows Isaac as a little boy? He's usually about six years old, looking completely confused while Abraham stands over him with a knife. It's a powerful picture...except that's probably not what happened.

The Bible never tells us Isaac's age, but it does give us clues. In Genesis 22, Isaac is called a na'ar, a Hebrew word that can describe a youth or a young man. Joseph is called a na'ar when he's seventeen years old, and the same word is even used for adult servants in other passages. Then add the fact that Isaac carried the wood for the burnt offering up the mountain himself. That wasn't a handful of kindling. Burnt offerings required a substantial amount of wood. Suddenly, this isn't the picture of a helpless little child. It's the picture of a strong young man. Maybe he was in his late teens. Maybe his twenties. Some Jewish traditions even place him at thirty-seven years old because of the timing of Sarah's death. We simply don't know for certain, but we know enough to realize he almost certainly wasn't a little boy.

Now stop and picture the scene again. Abraham is well over one hundred years old. Isaac is young, strong, and fully capable of carrying a heavy load of wood up a mountain. If Isaac had decided he wasn't interested in becoming a sacrifice that day, there is approximately a zero percent chance a man well over a century old was physically forcing him onto that altar. I don't care how tough Abraham was. At some point experience loses to youth. If Isaac wanted to leave, he was leaving.

Which means somewhere between carrying the wood, watching his father build the altar stone by stone, and realizing there still wasn't a sacrifice, Isaac understood exactly what was happening. He knew there wasn't another lamb coming. He was the offering.

And yet Scripture never records a struggle. No argument. No attempt to run. No, "Dad... I love you and all, but I think you've finally lost it." Instead, there is a silence that says far more than words ever could. Isaac willingly submitted to his father's will because he trusted his father, even when he couldn't possibly understand what God was doing.

Does that remind you of Someone else?

Nearly two thousand years later, another Son would carry wood up another mountain. Another Son would willingly submit to His Father's will. Another Son had every ability to stop what was happening. Jesus Himself said He could call on more than twelve legions of angels if He chose. The nails didn't keep Him on the cross. The Romans didn't keep Him on the cross. Love kept Him on the cross. He stayed because He chose to stay.

Then, just as Abraham raised the knife, God stopped him and provided a substitute. Not a lamb. A ram.

That detail isn't random. In Abraham's culture, a ram wasn't just another sheep. It was the mature male of the flock. It represented strength, leadership, and future generations. It was valuable. If you sacrificed a ram, you weren't just giving up one animal. You were giving up years of future offspring. This wasn't God providing the cheapest replacement He could find. He provided something costly.

Even the way the ram was caught matters. Genesis says it was caught by its horns in the thicket. Throughout Scripture, horns symbolize strength and power. The very thing that represented the ram's strength became the means by which it was held in place to become the substitute. Isaac climbed off the altar because another took his place.

And then the picture changes.

On Mount Moriah, God spared Abraham's son.

On Calvary, God did not spare His own.

There was no ram caught in the bushes for Jesus. No voice from heaven saying, "Stop." No substitute waiting at the last second.

Because Jesus was the substitute.

Isaac walked down the mountain alive because a ram died in his place. We get to walk away from our sin because Jesus died in ours. Suddenly Genesis 22 isn't just an incredible story about Abraham's faith. It's God painting a picture of the gospel nearly two thousand years before Jesus was born. Every step up the mountain. Every piece of wood. Every stone in that altar. Every question Isaac asked. Every moment of silence. Every one of them points to Christ.

And once you realize Isaac wasn't a terrified little boy being dragged where he didn't want to go, but a young man who willingly trusted his father enough to lay down on that altar...the story hits a whole lot differently.

It always pointed to Jesus. It always pointed to the Father who would one day give His own Son. And it always pointed to the Son who would willingly say, "Not My will, but Yours be done."

26/04/2026

𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝗘𝗟𝗜𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗡𝗚

Thirty-seven-year-old Cindy Briones wanted so much to have a child. Finally, after two miscarriages, she conceived and bore a wonderful son, Rafa. But soon after, she died of cancer, leaving behind 5-month-old Rafa and husband Louie.

During the funeral Mass, I caught myself turning misty-eyed, looking at Rafa - so innocent, and sleeping peacefully in the arms of his yaya.

What will happen to this child?

Why did Cindy have to go when a child finally arrived?

A MOMENT WITH THE LORD
Lord, there are many things I don't understand, but I believe that You have a plan. Amen.

A MOMENT WITH THE WORD
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." Proverbs 3:5

26/04/2026

Kindness received deserves kindness returned. That’s the energy. 🤍✨

26/04/2026

GOOD SHEPHERD SUNDAY | John 10:1-10

So Jesus said again, "Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate.

26/04/2026