This child is set for the fall and rising of many

Gospel: Luke 2:22-40

When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. ~ Luke 2:22

Do you know the joy of a life fully surrendered to God with faith and trust?

Last 2 weeks I received SMS from my sister in the Philippines that my mother is not well she said she will take her to the hospital for check up when they reached to the hospital the doctor said your mother is diabetic and she has high sugar she’s already paralyzed cause of twice heart attacked then she undergo lots of test and gave her lots of medicines, in her 2 weeks in the hospital there’s no any improvement in her health she’s still not well and my sister told me to be strong because we don’t know what will happened next, she feels very tired and uncomfortable its come to the point that her life comes to 50/50 but she’s still surviving for us. We are experiencing sorrow, frustration & hopeless because of my mother illness we don’t even know if there’s any way to cure her health even the doctors don’t know what is happening to her and it comes to the point that I ask GOD why my mother Lord I’m not ready for all of these. I feel so hopeless & frustrated specially I’m her in Dubai and I can’t go home to see her as I am new in my work I truly don’t know what to do. But thanks GOD for all the people he gives to comport & love me. I have nothing to do but to pray and lift up to him all I know that what ever we encountered difficulties in our lives his always there for us.

While I’m reading this verse I realized we truly need to trust and have faith in him what ever we have going through right now nothing is impossible for him. I surrendered to him all what ever we are facing now, I know that he heard and felt what is inside of our hearts and he loves us so much that’s why he give to us his only begotten son to be with us when we fall his always there to catch us & guide us in the right path of our lives . .

Frustration in life can easily make us cynical and hopeless if we do not have our hope placed rightly, the hope which God places in our heart is the desire for the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness. He gives us a supernatural joy which enables us to bear any sorrow or pain and which neither life nor death can take way.

Like Mama Mary, she was given the blessedness of being the mother of Jesus the Son of God. She knows that her blessedness also would become a sword which pierced her heart as her Son died upon the cross. She received both a crown of joy and a cross of sorrow. But her joy was not diminished by her sorrow because it was fueled by her faith, hope, and trust in God and his promises.

Have faith and Trust GOD always.

"Lord Jesus, you came to restore us to unity with the Father in heaven. Where there is division, bring healing and pardon. May all peoples and families find peace, wholeness, and unity in you, the Prince of Peace and Savior of the world."

Sis Jelly

Unit 6

Be the best or give your best (12/29)

Gospel: Luke 2:22-35

The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” ~ Luke 2:33-35

When I was a child, my parents taught me the value of excellence. They taught me that in everything that I do, I should give my best efforts in it and never settle for anything less. I always brought them joy whenever I get perfect scores in my quizzes and exams, receive awards in various competitions and praises from my teachers. There is nothing more rewarding than to see my parents tell their friends how proud they are with their eldest son.

Years gone by and as I grew up I realized that being the best in everything became harder and tougher to do. During high school I realized that there are a lot more students smarter than me, and this took a toll on me. I became frustrated, angry and bitter until I finally gave up. I gave up trying to be excellent. I started failing my quizzes and exams, started hanging out with school bullies and under achievers and used my talents in a very bad way. It felt good but deep inside I felt empty and disoriented. My parents started to notice this and they didn’t like what I turned into. It made me feel worse knowing that I have let them down.

And so I prayed.

And God answered with a question.

“Did they expect you to be the best or give your best?”

And the answer was clear to me.

Brothers and sisters, the Lord doesn’t require us to be the best for there would always be someone better than us, there would always be someone smarter than us, a better singer than us, and there would always be someone more good looking than us. What the Lord requires from us is our intention in being excellent in what we do, may it be in our work, in serving Him or in loving our brethren. This is what makes our heavenly Father happy, let’s continue to pray for the posture of our hearts and bring joy to Him by always being excellent for the Lord.

Bro Ced
Unit 2

Prepare the way (12/24)

Gospel: Luke 1:67-79

“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, 
   because he has come to his people and redeemed them.  ~ Luke 1:68


As I read the passages I found many things to reflect on like the mercy of God, redemption over sins through Jesus Christ, the faithfulness of God, the promise of salvation, and the birth of John.
My reflection of this gospel relates to God’s purpose on John.

Sometimes we are too stubborn to accept what others are telling us specially if it criticizes us; we think that we don’t need other peoples’ opinion to run our lives. But think again, these people can be our teachers, regardless of how they treat or mistreat us; we can pull out something good from what they have to say. It’s just a matter of how you would accept and react to it, not every bad thing that they say about you means condemnation, they may just want you to realize and avoid doing making a mistake. I once had a chance to share in the community about the wrong interpretation of the 1 Timothy 5:23 “Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.” (NIV) My intention is not to criticize every alcohol drinker but for them to know, educate them, and stop them from misusing the verse in order to justify their cravings.

Bro Adrian
Unit 2

The birth of John the Baptist (12/23)

Gospel: Luke 1:57-66

Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.  ~ Luke 1:66

God gives us dreams to live them out, not just to hope for them. He places big things in our heart so we can use our faith!

Bro Shilo
Unit 1

Big Yes to the Lord (12/22)

Gospel: Luke 1:46-56

And Mary said:  “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed,  ~ Luke 1:46-48

The gospel reminds me the time when I needed to face a big problem in my life not knowing that it’s a call from God. I was full of fear and so hopeless to overcome the challenge. I got to the point of giving up and running away from it, but God was good as HE taught me to say yes to it with willingness and trust in Him. And it made me realize that it was just His way of call for me.

I felt so blessed and delighted that time, with humble heart and stronger faith in Him, I had sacrificed and did my part believing on His kindness and love that this challenge in my life has an ending. Keeping in my mind that the fulfillment and good life our God had promised to us is just in our hands.

I’m so thankful for I was able to accept and happily answered YES to His call. God will always call you for a reason, and that is to make you a better person. Let’s always humbly response to Him and do it according to His will as He will always bless us and provide us of what He had Promise to the world.

Bro Chris
Unit 2

Deeper faith (12/21)

Gospel: Luke 1:39-45

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! ~ Luke 1:41-42

Indeed, the Holy Spirit is God's gift to us. In the past 7 years working and staying here in Dubai I’ve been through a lot of struggles and personal problems. But having a deeper faith and relationship with God and living with the Lord as the center of my life, I always feel the joy and power of the Holy Spirit on my daily routine as a person, as a brother in the community and as a Christian. For me, everyday God is working for each one of us through the Holy Spirit. God is alive and always there for us no matter what. Be prepared and ready every moment of your life by accepting HIS love and grace...

Bro Manny
Unit 1

Nothing is impossible with God (12/20)

Gospel: Luke 1: 26 - 38

“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”” ~ Luke 1:34

Just as God did with Mary, He freely grants His favor to all of us who open their hearts to His Spirit. Being favored by God provides us bounty of blessings. When we truly understand that "nothing is impossible with God," then we are able to step forward without fear and boldly say: "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be done unto me according to your word."

Bro Rhed
Unit 2

Believe and be Hopeful (12/19)

Gospel: Luke 1:5-25

But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. ~ Luke 1:13

Year 2001 I was diagnosed with “Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome” with multiple cysts on both sides of my ovaries. My gynecologist suggested me to settle down at least by the age of 25 because when I reached 30’s, it would be very difficult for me to bear a child. I have to undergo treatment and will keep me a minimum of 2 years to conceive. At that moment, I really wanted to cry in front of my doctor, I felt so disappointed and hurt with the bad news I just heard. I wasn’t expecting that at my very young age I had to suffer from that kind of health condition which may lead to infertility. I really cried when I told my eldest sister and my mom about my health condition. They comforted and gave me hope that someday I will have my own children, just have to follow and cooperate with my doctor for the treatment and proper medication but I was really hopeless and came to a point that I even questioned Him “Why me Lord? I really love babies. I always wanted to have my own kids when I get married”.

For more than two years in SFC community, I just received the answer to my question last week and I know that God used “Daily Manna”, particularly Sis Dred who represented “Angel Gabriel” in the bible verse as an instrument to deliver the message and an affirmation that “it’s never too late…your question has been answered” and I claimed it. PRAISE GOD!

I see myself in Zechariah when he said to Angel Gabriel “How can I know this? I am an old man and my wife is getting on in years”. But the angel replied “I am Gabriel, who stands in God's presence, and I have been sent to speak to you and bring you this good news.” Zechariah and Elizabeth “were upright in the sight of God and impeccably carried out all the commandments and observances of the Lord” but we can see the doubt from Zechariah when he asked Angel Gabriel instead of just saying thank you Lord. Sometimes when we are praying we tend to have a doubt in what we are praying for and we want an immediate answer. We never realize that God is just preparing us to receive the answer or God might give us a better answer in His own perfect time. My fiancée is always telling me that a baby is a blessing from God, we should be hopeful that God will bless us with a very healthy baby in His own perfect time. As we are preparing for our marriage, I am always praying and even tried nine-day novena to Immaculate Concepcion, hoping that all the cysts in my ovaries should be discharged, ovaries will be in normal size and my health condition will be more okay so I will bear child even if I get married at early 30’s.

At first I was hesitant to share but immediately after I read the bible verse I said “YES!” I come to realize that same with Elizabeth and Zechariah they are hopelessly praying and waiting for a gift of child but they are too old and Elizabeth was barren, who were not capable to bear a child but God’s grace and blessing always come in a perfect time. All our prayers have an answer, we just need to wait patiently and believe that God is a faithful and a generous God.

Sis Jnis

Unit 7

Open arms (12/18)

Gospel: Luke 1:26-38

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. ~ Luke 1:38


In this Gospel, we as Christians are challenged on how we will respond to God’s calling. Sometimes, we too are puzzled why such thing is happening to us. But just like Mary, we too must surrender our whole self to God and say YES to His call. Always remember that God has a great plan for us and can do impossible thing in us.

The dialogue between Gabriel and Mary outlines the journey in any call. I can relate this Gospel to my personal experience when I first join the SFC Community. I know He has a wonderful plan why I was able to know this community; and without hesitation, I said yes to Him. My journey with the community moves from bewilderment to certainty. God just want me to experience how great His love for me is. And as I go on with my fruitful journey, the challenge for me now is to share and bring more souls to Him; by accepting and saying “yes” through guiding our brothers and sisters in Christ and taking this great responsibility in my hand. I believe that there is nothing impossible with God, and He will guide me all the way throughout this journey.

Mother Mary’s “yes” to our Creator makes a new move; a move to make us whole and be saved. With me saying “yes,” to God, I know I can make a move as well to help our brothers and sisters to know more about God.

Sis Jhen

Unit 7

He is love and he is our life! (12/15)

Gospel: Luke 7:24-30

This is the one about whom it is written:    “‘I will send my messenger ahead of you,    who will prepare your way before you.’. ~ Luke 7:27


In today’s gospel, Jesus praises John for the person that he is and for the responsibility he has. This serves as a beautiful guide for all of us who in a way feels threatened by the presence of those people who are more popular or better than us. In this reading, we are reminded that God has placed us in this world for a purpose and that varies according to our abilities.

We are living in this world to serve Him by means of love. Being a part of the SFC Music Ministry is a way of executing my purpose through service. Sharing a part of my time through praising and singing expresses my gratitude for all the blessings He has provided me everyday. God is love and He is our life.

Sis Rubychiel

Unit 7

It will come... (12/14)

Gospel:  Luke 7: 18 - 23

he sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”. ~ Luke 7:19

We must see what God is doing in our lives and be open to His call - for it will come... but only if we listen. Let God be the center of your family and circle of friends. Walk with Him continuously and you will renounce sin, learn to love, and the things that you must do will work out prosperously for you. God is the one who has come into our lives and who is asking us to follow Him. We only need to say “yes” to His call.  

St. John of the Cross, we ask you to intercede for us in Heaven, and help us find silence and listen to the voice of God in our lives that, through our thoughts, words, deeds, and actions, we might lead others to Him.

Sis Juliet
Unit 7

Vocation of Mary (12/08)

Gospel: Luke 1: 26 - 38

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. ~ Luke 1:38

In this life, we are called to respond with love and willingness to surrender our own capabilities to the works of God whom have been gracious and loving from the very beginning. I always look at Mama Mary as the very epitome of a Lord’s servant with all her life surrendered to the will of God. Mama Mary herself made known to us the very posture of how a servant must be, in our willingness to be vessels of the grace of God. Jesus himself is the very essence of God’s grace cared inside Mama Mary’s womb who is the new Ark of the Covenant. Mary symbolizes that it is for us to emulate her humility despite our lacking, for the Lord promised us that He will qualify and empower those who are called, He does not call the qualified. I am confident in His very grace that despite of my imperfection I believe that He does not look at my limits or my success, nor should I succeed or fail, rather He only requires me to try. We as new breed of Christians are called to respond with utmost love and devotion for it is only then we will be living our very vocation to Jesus. And with Mary’s ways of living with her calling, I look upon her as a symbol of God’s providence that no matter what, the Lord will always be my source of grace. Mary has been filled with grace for she offered everything to the Lord, so as I am called to surrender unto Him as well, then the Lord’s grace will accompany me all throughout my very existence.

Bro Nanan
Chapter Head

Desperate for Jesus (12/05)

Gospel: Luke 5:17-26

“But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” ~ Luke 5:24

It came to a point in my life wherein I chose to lead my life apart from God. Thinking that I was too good enough to handle myself, I confidently took control of my own life and rejected God’s graces. But human as I am, I am nothing without God. I had made wrong turns in my life by allowing my own weakness to consume me and resorted to making irresponsible decisions.  I watched myself slowly falling deep into the bottom of the pit until I became very weak, helpless and paralyzed. Then I found myself very desperate for Jesus; desperate for forgiveness.

It is much like how the people in today’s gospel were so desperate enough to get to Jesus, to the extent of ripping off the rooftop, just to bring their paralyzed friend to receive healing. Because of their great faith, Jesus had forgiven and healed the man and told to get up, take his mat and go home.

I had similarly sought Jesus for spiritual healing, forgiveness and repentance.  Jesus accepted me with open arms and gave me another chance.  And as I continue my journey in life, with a renewed spirit, I offer my life participating in God’s mission making Jesus as my inspiration.

If we feel that we are so far away from God, let us reach out to Jesus for he is our way to God. He is our stronghold. He is our merciful healer and redeemer who would never deprive us of his forgiveness and compassion. Jesus Christ is the manifestation of God’s great love for us. Let us all keep our faith strong in that belief.
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Sis aRn 
Unit 3