Allan Niñal

The Convinced and the Convicted It’s incredible what I can convince my two-year old daughter to be true. I can convince her that chocolate is disgusting;that my legs will stop working if she doesn’t use her manners; and that a spoonful of soup is a witch venturing into a cave. All the while, I’m very aware that the world is convincing me in the same way. That the newest Apple Macbook is essential to my productivity; that the right moisturiser will turn me into Lee Min-ho; and that new workout gear will make me a better athlete. In today's Gospel, Jesus says no one can see the Kingdom of God “without being born from above.” Talk about an impossible requirement for getting into heaven. I don’t know a single person who naturally fits this description. But God assures us that, yes, we can be born from above. That’s exactly why Jesus suffered, died, and resurrected from the dead. This is why we are baptized. This is why we are confirmed in faith, why we pray, return to God through the Sacrament of Penance, and receive the Eucharist. For man it is impossible but, for God, it’s all part of the plan. But the world is trying its hardest to convince us otherwise. A lot of my friends believe that God doesn’t care for them. Some don’t even want to go to heaven. The world can convince us of some pretty strange things. May we remain convicted to keep the Spirit alive in us everyday. Our Catholic faith has shown us a fail-safe way to do just that. May we bring more people into the Mothership of Faith! How can I attract more people to the Catholic faith? #cfcablazecommunications #inhissteps #dailygospelreflection #faith #eastertide #convinced #convicted https://www.instagram.com/p/CNi94FoAWPB/?igshid=1di4eyvw9u4ls

The Hands of Mercy After Jesus’ crucifixion and death, the disciples were undoubtedly a mess. They were not only in mourning, they also had to contend with their guilt for abandoning Jesus as well as their fear of persecution by the Jews. It was in their troubled and unworthy state that Jesus chose to come to them. Jesus made no mention of their abandonment. Instead, He showed them His hands and side, breathed on them, and gave them His peace. But because Thomas wasn’t there, they could only tell him what had happened. Imagine how difficult it would be to convince you if you had been in Thomas’ place! But Thomas need not content himself with just knowing about Christ’s resurrection. In Jesus’ mercy, He came specifically for Thomas so that he could encounter for himself the risen Lord. How blessed Thomas was to have placed his hands on the side of Jesus’ glorified body! And so, while we are sinners and guilty of abandoning the Lord countless times, Divine Mercy walks towards us. He comes to offer us His hands, which carried the burden of our crosses. He comes to offer us His side, so we can remain in His love. May our hearts proclaim in response: “Jesus, I trust in You.” How have I experienced firsthand the Divine Mercy of God? And in what ways have I shown mercy to others? #cfcablazecommunications #inhissteps #dailygospelreflection #divinemercysunday #divinemercy #doubtingthomas #eastertide https://www.instagram.com/p/CNgT3KFgz-B/?igshid=n5klvpd1d9r1

UNLIKELY MESSENGERS I often find myself questioning the Lord’s choice for a messenger. Of all people He could’ve first appeared to, He chose a sinner from “whom He cast out seven demons” to bear one of the most important messages—that He is alive! Just like the apostles, I would’ve had my doubts about the news, wondering why Jesus didn’t appear to more credible people first. We often have a tendency to miss the message because we judge the messenger. Once, I was looking for an envelope with important documents when my husband suggested I look for it among his things. Since I’m more organized than him, I ignored his suggestion and spent my energies searching everywhere else for it. When, out of sheer exhaustion, I finally looked into my husband’s things, the envelope was indeed there! I could’ve spared myself the extra stress if I had only trusted him. Often, pride makes us think that we know enough not to listen to what other people have to say. Prejudice often leads us to think that we know God better. We think we know how He should appear and talk to us in our daily lives. In the process, we miss experiencing Him in the people whom we judge the most. By His grace, may we learn to be humble enough to welcome Him even in the most difficult or unlikely people in our lives. When have I doubted God’s message because of my prejudice towards the messenger? #CFCAblaze #InHisSteps #DailyGospelReflection #prejudice #messenger #EasterTide https://www.instagram.com/p/CNc8jiZAWxv/?igshid=bt9kfr0lkcyk

BACK TO WHERE IT BEGAN Only a few days after Jesus’ resurrection, three of His disciples can be found back in the Lake of Galilee where it all began for them. It’s hard to believe why they would’ve gone back to their old lives as fishermen, especially after the news of Jesus’ resurrection from Mary of Magdala, and after they themselves encountered Jesus and saw His pierced side. Even after all that, they still turned their backs on their mission. But God, ever so patient, turned this into an opportunity for the disciples to rediscover their calling by harking back to their first encounter with the Lord. God met them where they were. All night, the disciples had been fishing yet caught nothing. It was not only their nets but their hearts that were empty. The risen Christ walked to the shore and called out to them, asking if they had caught anything to eat. As when they first met Him, Jesus guided them to cast their nets and lo, they drew a huge catch! Afterwards, Jesus served His friends breakfast, turning their mourning into a new morning. When I grow weary, when I lose sight of my purpose, what memory or encounter can I go back to in order to be renewed? #inhissteps #dailygospelreflection #weary #renewed #eastertide #purpose https://www.instagram.com/p/CNbIinVgdtm/?igshid=8n6lqrmq6t7o

TRUE FAITH Just as the apostles questioned if the apparition of Jesus was real, we too sometimes entertain doubts in our hearts that weaken our faith. I joined a Catholic youth community when I was 14, but, following my entry, I felt I was not cared for properly. I was yearning to know God so I looked for Him elsewhere—even in a Protestant youth group which my classmate invited me to join. Although my prayer life grew and my knowledge of God increased, there was a lingering doubt about God’s presence in my life. Soon enough, I grew weary from continually doubting God and went back to look for Him where my faith began—the Catholic Church. It was when I started going back to Mass and the Sacrament of Reconciliation that my doubts finally left me. There in the Eucharist, I was clearly shown who Jesus is. And through Reconciliation, I was shown the death of sin and the Resurrection of Christ within me. If ever we doubt Christ in our lives, we need only to visit Him in the tabernacle or receive Him in the flesh in the Holy Mass. This is true faith. In what ways can I strengthen my faith when doubt creeps in? #inhissteps #dailygospelreflection #eastertide #faith #sacraments #eucharist #holymass #confession https://www.instagram.com/p/CNXv58ygZGv/?igshid=1w2kkkjmd1t5x

BACK TO JERUSALEM Like the two disciples on their way to Emmaus, we tend to concern ourselves with things of the world and often converse with one another about such. These days, many of us do this by posting on social media and responding to the comments. When we connect with our friends about our opinions or beliefs, even our hobbies, we are happy. But when we end up debating and disagreeing, it can lead to division and even unfriending each other on our social media accounts and, quite possibly, in real life. But also like the two disciples in today’s Gospel, we cannot get to any good place if we only focus on ourselves, if we do not recognize that Jesus is in our midst. No amount of debating or recounting the events will ever be complete on their own if we do not allow Jesus to walk with us, if we do not listen to Him, and if we do not invite Him to enter our lives through the Eucharist. So let us allow Jesus to stay with us, to help us clearly see and understand the things taking place around us. And let us follow Jesus as he leads us back to Jerusalem from Emmaus. When have I gotten into a debate with someone over things of the world? #inhissteps #dailygospelreflection #roadtoemaus #eastertide https://www.instagram.com/p/CNWE0I1gyco/?igshid=4bi7dgvimejx

TEARS THAT BLIND The moments when I find myself crying are usually times when I no longer feel confident about myself or when something has not turned out the way I expected. Whenever I feel stuck or like I have lost my direction, I get anxious and end up crying. Recently, I was tasked by my company to present a proposal for a mobile application. My research had not been as fruitful as I wanted it to be and, anxious over the poor outcome as well as the inadequate support from my colleagues, I ended up feeling very hopeless and spent an entire night crying. It must have been the same for Mary after seeing the empty tomb. She must have felt just as hopeless and lost, wondering where Jesus’ body could have been taken or if He was truly gone forever. What was she to do then? Her weeping was so intense that she did not even recognize Jesus there, talking directly to her. Often, our sadness and grief overwhelm us. Though these are legitimate emotions that demands to be felt rather than repressed, they can sometimes blind us from seeing Christ who stands in front of us, comforting us. As we welcome Eastertide, let us remain focused on the promise of Christ’s resurrection, that we may truly see joy beyond our grief. What often blinds me from seeing Christ in my life? When this happens and I grow hopeless, how does Jesus comfort me? #inhissteps #dailygospelreflection #eastertide #hopeless #resurrection #sadness #grief https://www.instagram.com/p/CNTXHeIgR5J/?igshid=fxmof87y8djk

WE RESURRECT WITH JESUS Sick during the height of a global pandemic, I had to come to terms with my own mortality. At first, it was just a cough so I didn’t mind it that much. But it worsened each day so that I soon had trouble sleeping at night, unable to breathe without feeling pain. I was not so invincible after all. What worsened my symptoms, however, was the growing sense of anxiety that I may have contracted a deadly virus. Amid my fears, I did my best to hold on to God’s promise to me that I would be healed and that we would get through this together. Thankfully, after ten days of extreme discomfort and equally fervent prayers, I was fully recovered and back on my feet. The Gospel today is a reminder of the fulfillment of God’s greatest promise to us. Jesus was born to share the good news of our salvation, died to redeems the sins of the world, and resurrected so that we may have eternal life with Him. We are born, will die, and, most importantly, will be resurrected with Him. Let this truth overcome us, not only with fear but more so with joy, as it did Mary Magdalene and the other Mary that day. What worries me? What promise from God do I hold on to amid my anxieties? #inhissteps #dailygospelreflection https://www.instagram.com/p/CNQ08QlgY5Z/?igshid=19c4q6yg0zbld

UNTOMB THE ENTOMBED People were lined up after the mass asking for a blessing. I could see from the corner of my eye this lady who seemed to be waiting for everyone to finish. It was obvious she was carrying a burden. When everybody was gone, she asked if I could hear her confession. I obliged. And that was when she told me that she had aborted her first child twenty-four years ago. Surprised that it took her that long to confess the sin, I prodded further and found out that she had confessed it before. “Why are you confessing it again now?” I inquired. “It was supposed to be my first child. I cannot forgive myself until now, Father,” she said. Imagine the weight that woman had been carrying. When she first confessed that sin, God had already forgiven her. It had been erased from Divine memory, never to be unearthed again. Today is Easter Sunday, Jesus has been raised from the dead, the tomb is empty. On that first Easter morning, God manifested himself as one who untombs the entombed. At times, it is quite the opposite with us: we entomb the untombed. That woman whose confession I heard had been untombed from the grave of her sin and guilt. But for many years, she kept entombing herself in guilt and unforgiveness. When we refuse to forgive ourselves for the evil that we have done in the past, or when we hold grudges and refuse forgiveness to those who have wronged us, we entomb the untombed. Today, let us ask Jesus for a share in the grace of His resurrection. Let us leave the darkness of the tomb and embrace the light of a new day. Let us rise with Jesus. Let us untomb the entombed. What have I buried myself in—guilt, anger, shame, unforgiveness, resentment, frustration? Shake these off and rise with Jesus. #inhissteps #dailygospelreflection https://www.instagram.com/p/CNOAu5LAdwk/?igshid=6pugw89klt69

Surprise! Many people say that God is a God of surprises. Indeed, God surprises us through unexpected joys, answered prayers, consolation in grief, and even sudden difficulties when everything seem to be going fine. But perhaps it is safe to say that His most beautiful surprise for all creation is the surprise of Jesus’ resurrection. The resurrection is beautiful because it demonstrates the height of God’s love for His Son. The resurrection is beautiful because it tells us that, when we share in Christ’s passion, we will also rise with Him. The resurrection is beautiful because it is the ray of hope that Jesus will forever be with us. But isn’t the resurrection also beautiful because, in it, we get a glimpse of the meaning of transcendence? Is it not also beautiful because the resurrection points us to God, whom we can never fully understand, who is beautiful and lovable precisely because He escapes our understanding? Just when we thought that it was all over, in the resurrection, God comes and tells us, “Wait, there’s more!” In this time of Easter, we reflect upon how God surprises us in different ways. When was the last time God surprised me? #inhissteps #dailygospelreflection https://www.instagram.com/p/CNLnXuzAbGG/?igshid=vokl6u188j2g

I Thirst Holy Week is perhaps one of the most active seasons in the lives of Catholics. Beginning on Palm Sunday, we spend these next days attending recollections, praying the Stations of the Cross, receiving the sacrament of Reconciliation, going on church pilgrimages and joining processions until, finally, Easter comes. In my country, there are many more vibrant religious practices during Holy Week. But last year, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Holy Week was spent confined in our homes instead. As a church servant, I was able to visit one of the busiest churches in the city. I cried when I saw it empty and asked the Lord where He was leading us. After some silence, I felt that I could hear God answering: “My child, I am always here with You.” Indeed, Jesus endured His passion and died for us so that we could be with Him for eternity. Despite the restrictions, the Lord still made a way to reach out to and be with us, to quench our thirst for Him. Last year, while churches were closed, the number of online Masses and attendees surged. Recollections, healing rosaries, and religious conferences were all made available online while safeguards were soon put in place to allow us to physically receive the Body of Christ once more. The Lord will keep drawing near to us. There is nothing that can separate us from His love. Have I ever felt separated from Christ? In what ways has He quenched my thirst? #inhissteps #dailygospelreflection https://www.instagram.com/p/CNJXyjjAC_u/?igshid=12vgqhg8igkhr

The Attack on Our Priests As we celebrate today the institution of the priesthood, it’s sobering to remember that our priests are under attack, now more than ever before. Reflecting on today's readings, I remember a particular verse from the Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24, where Jesus is asked about what sign will accompany the end of the age. Among the signs, He also mentioned that “the charity of many will grow cold.” Many Bible scholars explain that, towards the end, our shepherds, will grow lukewarm in their love for God and for others. I recently heard a priest talk about the apparition of Our Lady of Revelation to Bruno Cornacchiola, who was so anti-Catholic that he vowed to kill the Pope! But all that changed when Our Lady appeared to him in a cave in Tre Fontane in 1947. Through him, the Blessed Virgin sent a message for her priest-sons, “especially shepherds of the flock who…divert [them] from the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” She called on them to “go back to the beginning, to the source of evangelical unity, charity, far from the world” and to “draw closer with more fervor to the Living Sacrament among you, the Eucharist.” We’re all guilty of having thought or said something uncharitable about our dear priests. If so many priests are losing sight of their true goal, it's also because so few pray and make sacrifices for them! Let us pray for renewed fervor among the clergy and for an increase in holy vocations. When was the last time I had uncharitable thoughts about a priest? What sacrifice am I willing to make for renewed fervor and devotion among priests? #inhissteps #dailygospelreflection https://www.instagram.com/p/CNHlMX-AAs2/?igshid=15auyp5osf5ho

In Philippine culture, the house of our grandparents, our ancestral homes, are popular venues for family gatherings like reunions, birthdays, Christmas parties, and such. The younger generations, despite having left the nest and building their own homes, often still regard their grandparents’ house as their own home. This is a place of “how are you’s,” where family members express interest and concern towards each other. It is a place of “I love you’s” and “I miss you’s,” where people find joy in their reunion and cherish each other deeply in their hearts. It is a place of “I’m sorry’s,” where healing and reconciliation bloom. It is home. Today’s Gospel illustrated how Jesus made the house of Simon and Andrew home for all. He expressed His love and concern for everyone by healing them. He left the house with experiences for people to keep and cherish. A house will remain just a physical structure if there are no interest and concern among the people who live within it. And a house can never be a true home without Jesus. Let us welcome Jesus into our lives and our homes. How can I turn my house into a home where Jesus resides? #JesusIsHome #InHisSteps #CFCAblaze #DailyGospelReflection https://www.instagram.com/p/CK_dWgsgK_K/?igshid=7l2y75opq8e3

These days, gadgets like smartphones and laptops are so commonplace that our lives seem incomplete without them. One of the first things I do each morning is to charge my phone to make sure that I don’t miss out on any important messages throughout the day. The apostles in today’s Gospel must have had little to no energy left after ministering to the people, proclaiming God’s word to them, driving away demons, and healing the sick. Jesus recognized their need to be recharged and so, he directed them to go to a remote place where they could rest. In our lives as Christians we, too, may feel tired as we go about our duties in our homes, workplaces, church, and communities. Because we are human and have our limits, we also need time to pause, rest, and recharge. How do we get our energies back? Some people choose to sleep. Others engage in self-care activities like getting a massage. Some de-stress by playing games or watching movies. But more than anything else, may we learn to recharge in the same way the apostles did: to come to a quiet place, with only Jesus for our company. Nothing else can work quite as well. How do I usually cope with feelings of stress? In what ways can I approach Jesus to recharge? #recharge #inhissteps #dailygospelreflection https://www.instagram.com/p/CK8BE5WAu3w/?igshid=pfdqe3iajev

DIY cold coffee 🥶☕️ https://www.instagram.com/p/B0XPxFCAKM7/?igshid=fzb4lyyh3wk0

SPIRIT OF TRUTH Migrating to Canada was not easy. While it was good that we did it as a family, I needed to deal with cold weather and a more challenging lifestyle. Struggling to have a career, I settled for survival jobs. In the process, I lost my confidence and suffered anxiety. At the same time, my dad dealt with the last stage of cancer, pushing our family into a critical financial situation. With too much to bear, I failed to have an active spiritual life. I stopped praying, hopeless in getting any answer. Indeed, I experienced spiritual dryness. The Spirit of Truth used my husband to lead me back to the basic truth – that God loves me immensely. It was this truth that opened my eyes of faith. We live in a world full of lies. These days, the devil will use any trial to feed lies – hopelessness, despair, unworthiness – into our head. Trials often tempt us to listen to what is “easier” to believe. Are we critical of what we believe in? Christ invites us to call upon Him and to accept His truth. Let us pray for the Spirit of Truth to protect us from Satan’s lies. Have I experienced the work of the Holy Spirit in my life? #InHisSteps #DailyGospelReflection #iamSFC https://www.instagram.com/p/ByC3TWrgE4v/?igshid=1sdbfs88wpvrl

He who seeks anything but God alone and the salvation of his soul will find only trouble and grief, and he who does not try to become the least, the servant of all, cannot remain at peace for long. You have come to serve, not to rule. You must understand, too, that you have been called to suffer and to work, not to idle and gossip away your time. Here men are tried as gold in a furnace. Here no man can remain unless he desires with all his heart to humble himself before God. - from the “Imitation of Christ” by Thomas Kempis https://www.instagram.com/p/ByC2qVQABLJ/?igshid=1vr24hil7dmfo