The Real Treasure... LOVE

Inspired by John 12:1-11

"Judas, indeed had no concern for the poor; he was a thief and as he held the common purse, he used to help himself to the funds. But Jesus spoke up, 'Leave her alone. Was she not keeping it for the day of my burial? The poor you always have with you but you will not always have me'."

As I listened at the gospel reading, my initial reaction was, 'indeed Judas was really greedy for money'. I was therefore surprised with the opening salvo of the priest who gave the homily. "Before we cast judgment upon Judas let us first understand that he was one of the twelve apostles carefully chosen by Jesus. Jesus believed in him. Jesus saw his potential. He must have been a good person at the start."

I remembered how Jesus spent the whole night in prayer and communion with the Father before he chose the twelve apostles among his many disciples. Judas for sure was one of the disciples. He was one of those who believed in Jesus that is why he was closely following Jesus and became one of the candidates to become an apostle.

The priest further elaborates, "however, in his life he made a lot of bad decisions. When entrusted with the funds, he even went to as far as stealing from it. And later, we know that he indeed sold Jesus for thirty pieces of silver and his life ended in tragedy.

For our part, Jesus believes in our potential as well. He sees the goodness in us. May we learn to make the right decisions and the right choices in our lives. May we become like Mary who always make the right choice."

I realized that this was the same Mary whom Jesus commended for choosing the right thing when she opted to sit and listen to Jesus while Martha complained of how much work she had to do and was not being assisted by Mary. Mary simply did these things out of love and gratitude in her heart. I think this is what makes Mary an extraordinary disciple of Jesus. She was simply moved by love for Jesus so that even the actions that were judged as "inappropriate" (sitting at the foot of Jesus while others were busy serving the Lord and wasting her money on expensive perfume to anoint the Lord's feet instead of giving it to the poor) were justified. She was justified by love.

Apparently all our actions on earth will only be judged by LOVE. All the efforts we make in doing "good things" like building an orphanage, preaching to the people, organizing different ministries may be viewed as mere shadows if all these things are done not out of love but merely out of obligation to fulfill ones Christian duties. The woman who does nothing but simply stares at the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament with much love in her heart may come out more justified than the one who gave money to the poor with a grudge in her heart. No wonder St. Paul speaks with so much passion about LOVE as the greatest gift of all other gifts in 1 Corinthians 13: 1-3. He stresses that speaking the language of men and even of angels, that inspired preaching, that knowledge and the ability to understand all secrets, even the faith to move mountains, giving away everything and even giving up the body to be burned is of little value in God's sight if the person has no love.

St. Paul then exhorts on how to have LOVE in 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7. The practice of the following will bring more good on earth than the practice of all other gifts mentioned above:

Be patient.

Be kind.

Do not be jealous.

Do not be conceited or proud.

Do not be ill-mannered, selfish or irritable.

Do not keep a record of wrongs.

Do not be happy with evil. Be happy with the truth.

Do not give up on people. Continue to believe and to hope and to be very patient with people.

That is LOVE.

At the end of our lives, our works of inspired messages, the gifts of speaking in strange tongues, our gifts of knowledge will all cease. Only LOVE remains and will stand before the throne of God. Only with LOVE will we be justified in the eyes of God.

The Gold Coin

Inspired by Luke 19:11-27

"I was afraid of you because you are a hard man...."

"You know that I am a hard man, taking what is not mine and reaping what I have not planted. Well, why then didn't you put my money in the bank? Then I would have received it back with interest when I returned.... Take the gold coin away from him and give it to the servant who had ten coins... I tell you, that to every person who has nothing, even the little that he has will be taken away from him."

Fear is the biggest obstacle to prosperity. The man paralyzed by fear will even fail to judge with his common sense. The man in the gospel was filled with so much fear for the master who gave him the gold coin that he simply buried the coin. He forgot the instruction of the master before he left, "See what you can earn with this while I am gone." The master strictly instructed that he earn something from that single coin but because of fear, his thought was stuck to simply returning the gold coin to the master.

At a glance, one would immediately see the significance of the gospel reading in terms of finances. Indeed, if you want your money to earn... you must invest what little you have instead of keeping it in a mere savings account where the interest rate is not enough to offset the inflation rate. If you are afraid of risky investments like the stock market or real estate, then at least have the common sense to put your money in the most conservative of all investments... high-interest time deposits or retail treasury bonds. You are assured of not losing your principal and you know how much you will earn every period. Otherwise, what little money you have in your savings account will eventually be gone because it will be very accessible to you due to the presence of ATM cards and automatic debit cards. Have the common sense to put it somewhere less accessible and with higher earning potential.

But there is another view into this gospel. All of us are gifted at the very least with a single skill, a single talent, a single opportunity. However, each deals with this skill, talent or opportunity in different ways. Some deny the existence of such skill, talent and opportunity. That is the most pathetic of all. Others would take an effort to discover, improve and develop that talent or skill further in order to benefit not only themselves but also other people. And from there, they soon learn that the skill and talent have the capacity to multiply to create more opportunities for themselves. Still others would simply remain timid and keep the skill and talent to himself for fear that people will not value that skill or talent. Such fear keeps him paralyzed and stagnant. Year after year, there is no improvement. Sooner or later, he will find himself not only stagnating but also deteriorating. What was given to him is now being taken away from him.

If you do not use something, it will atrophy. Just like the muscles of your body, if you do not walk and run but instead just remain in bed, after a year or two, your leg muscles will degenerate. It will reduce in size and will eventually weaken until you lose the ability to walk. Therefore it is very important to know yourself, your skills, talents and abilities so you would know how to invest in these and maximize your potentials to the full so you can live a full and abundant life.

Wealth Behind Tithing

Inspired by Luke 11:42

"How terrible for you Pharisees! You give to God one tenth of the seasoning herbs such as mint and rue and all the other herbs, but you neglect justice and love for God. These you should practice, without neglecting the others."

When I attended the mass in Mount Carmel, I was elated that Fr. Arnie started talking about tithing and he explained that for the 10% tithe, we should give 5% to the parish or church we belong to and the remaining 5% to our charity of choice. And he commended the members of the basic ecclesial communities who are indigents for their practice of tithing. I think it is about time that tithing should be properly explained to all Christians especially Catholics. We are actually depriving ourselves of God's abundance by not making this practice known to many. This is one of the keys to prosperity and yet we are not propagating this practice.

It is clear from what Jesus said that tithing is an essential part of our spiritual life. Though it is not the be-all and end-all, it should be practiced along with the other Christian values. When he criticized the Pharisees, he did not say 'stop giving tithes,' instead He said, 'these you should practice, without neglecting the others --- love and justice'.

In the Book of Malachi 3:8-12 God says, "I ask you, is it right for a person to cheat God? Of course not, yet you are cheating me. 'How?' you ask. In the matter of tithes and offerings. A curse is on all of you because the whole nation is cheating me. Bring the full amount of your tithes to the Temple, so that there will be plenty of food there. Put me to the test and you will see that I will open the windows of heaven and pour out on you in abundance all kinds of good things. I will not let insects destroy your crops, and your grapevines will be loaded with grapes. Then the people of all nations will call you happy, because your land will be a good place to live."

This is the only verse in the bible wherein God allows His people to put Him to the test. And so when I started the practice of tithing, I did just that... put Him to the test. Every time I receive my professional fee, I automatically set aside 10% of that fee in an envelope marked tithing. That is where I get money for parish contributions, contributions to charitable institutions like UNICEF and the like, and contributions to people who are in need. It actually makes the act of giving easier because I know I have money in that tithing envelope to give to whoever needs the help. And God in His part fulfills His promise. Whenever I give a tithe, it comes back to me tenfold, even a hundredfold. So I force myself to tithe especially when I am most in need of money, so I can receive the fulfilment of His promise. And He never fails.

There were however instances when I felt I was not receiving the blessings that He promised. Then when I looked at the envelope, I realized that money had already accumulated in the envelope. I have failed to let go of the tithe. Then I realized that the sooner you give the tithe, the earlier you will be 'repaid' for it. As long as it is in your keeping, you are also keeping the gates of blessing from being poured on you.

I think it is about time that tithing should be properly explained to everyone in order to give everyone the chance to be financially blessed. Try it.

Finding the Extraordinary in the Ordinary

Inspired by 2 Kings 5:13-14

"In one of Naaman's raids against Israel the Syrian had carried off a little Israelite girl who became a servant of Naaman's wife. One day she said to her mistress, "I wish that my master could go to the prophet who lives in Samaria. He would cure him of his disease....
So Naaman went with his horses and chariot and stopped at the entrance to Elisha's house. Elisha sent a servant out to tell him to go and wash himself seven times in the Jordan River and he would be cured of his disease. But Naaman left in a rage saying, 'I thought that he would at least come out to me, pray to the Lord his God, wave his hand over the diseased spot and cure me.' Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something difficult, you would have done it. Now, why can't you just wash yourself as he said, and be cured? So Naaman went down to the Jordan, dipped himself in it seven times, as Elisha had instructed, and he was completely cured."

I sat in church still thinking about the gospel reading that morning. Indeed, people want the extraordinary, including me. We love the magical, the mysterious, the special. But most of the time, God only asks us to do the ordinary. His power can be and will be manifested even in the ordinary. A simple antibiotic can cure that infection. You just have to consult a doctor. A simple problem can be confronted and faced instead of waiting for God to miraculously dissolve everything in thin air. Even the miracles that we are praying for may be given to us in the most ordinary form. The simplicity of the solution can sometimes amaze us and we find it difficult to accept and comprehend.

Another message which emanated from this reading was the fact that God can choose anybody He wants to carry His message. The little girl is just a servant but she did not feel insecure nor intimidated. For her, the truth of the message is more important. She did not withhold the message because of her stature.

I was awestruck and in complete wonder as I contemplated on this when suddenly a child dressed in worn-out shirt and shorts approached me with his forlorn face and begged in Tagalog, "just for a piece of bread..." He startled me. I looked him in the eyes and told him, "not in here." When he left I can only sigh and gaze at the cross. No use going back to my prayer. The Man on the Cross was leading me out. There was an ordinary message that needed to be imparted to the child so I went out of the church and saw him at the entrance door. I searched inside my bag for my car keys and he saw me. He approached me using the same dialogue, "just for a piece of bread..." with his hand extended out to me and once again wearing the forlorn expression on his face. Looking into his eyes I addressed him, "You know why I don't want to give you money? Because you may fall into the habit of begging. You will grow up as a beggar. You should learn how to earn it. Come, you can assist me with the traffic as I move my car." I think I scared the wits out of him by talking to him, instead of just ignoring him.

As soon as I entered my car, I lowered down my window and I saw him just standing there. "Guide me so I don't hit my rear." So he proceeded as told. Actually, I did not really need him to do that. There were no other cars behind and I could easily see from my rearview mirror and side mirrors. But what I wanted to instill in the boy is the dignity of labor and the principle that no matter how poor you are, you can help and serve others. Then I handed him a P5.00 coin and told him, "That's the way to go. Don't get used to begging for money." He nodded and said thank you.

As I drove away, I saw him from my rearview mirror hopping with a huge smile on his face. Was that because he received money or because he felt immensely satisfied that he "earned" his money? I can never tell. All I know is that as humans, we are all created in the image and likeness of God. And when He created the earth and the universe, He worked for six days. And at the end of each of those days, He stopped and looked at what He created and got immense satisfaction from the work of His hands and said, "It is good." He found fulfilment in His work. That is the essence of the dignity of labor. We work because God Himself worked and is continually at work. I also managed a smile. There was also an immense satisfaction in being able to convey that message to the little boy. I feel just as helpless as a lot of people around about the many streetkids roaming around begging for alms. I have an extraordinary solution: to open a streetkid center along major roads which will feed these children, clean them and "brainwash" them about the dignity of labor and their dignity as human beings. They are free to come and go because the process will take slowly and gradually to have lasting effect. But right now, I do not have the extraordinary resources for that, so in the meantime, I have to make do with my ordinary solution.

Your Best Will Come Back to You a Hundredfold

Inspired by Acts 6:1-4

"Some time later, as the number of disciples kept growing, there was a quarrel between the Greek-speaking Jews and the native Jews. The Greek-speaking Jews claimed that their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of funds. So the twelve apostles called the whole group of believers together and said, "It is not right for us to neglect the preaching of God's word in order to handle finances. So then, brothers, choose seven men among you who are known to be full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, and we will put them in charge of this matter. We ourselves, then will give our full time to prayer and the work of preaching."

This reading clearly shows that different persons have different core gifts. Assuming a role which is not in line with your core gift will only compromise your overall performance. I always hear Bo Sanchez speak about the need to focus on your core gift because that is essentially what you are called to do. Focus is of the essence if you want to be able to succeed in whatever you do. Doing several things at one time will dilute all your efforts.

According to Lloyd Reeb in his book "From Success to Significance", we ought to list down all the works and responsibilities we are handling at the moment. From the list, we should prioritize only at the most, 5 responsibilities which we cannot give up and discard all other responsibilities that only serves to keep us out of focus. Primary factor that will determine prioritization is LOVE. Roles as wife/husband, parents, etc should therefore be included because these roles require that we allot time for it. If we are not finding fulfilment and satisfaction in our source of income, then we ought to determine what is truly our core gift. Because performing our core gift will lead us to our perfect vocation and profession. There are different gifts at work in each of us. Building God's Kingdom requires that each person should discover this core gift.

In Richard Koch's book "The 80/20 Individual", he explains that doing the 20% which we are good at and leaving the 80% to be done by other people who are good at it will produce more effective results than doing all the work yourself. The theory also states that it only takes 20% of our efforts to product 80% of the results that we need, if only we know what we do best. The scriptural reading above clearly shows us that even the apostles are practicing the 80/20 Principle. They know that they are good at preaching and not at handling finances. So they tasked someone who is good at it to do the work for them. They all had different tasks to perform and they relied on each other's bests to perform those tasks so that everyone contributed in building the Kingdom in their own ways.

Give Freely

Inspired by Mark 4:21-25

"Pay attention to what you hear. In the measure you give, so shall you receive and still more will be given to you. For to the one who produces something, more will be given, and from him who does not produce anything, even what he has will be taken away from him."

A lot of people climb the millionaire ladder with the hope of gaining riches. The fundamental problem in this climb and why only a few would succeed eventually is that many are in the "Get for Myself Mode". We venture into some business enterprise with the primary goal of earning. We offer our services primarily to get something in return.

Jesus is pointing out in this gospel reading why many remain poor. And that is because they refuse to give. The poverty mentality is a mentality of lack. I do not have, therefore I cannot give. But if the secret to riches is in giving, then there is no way that the poor will become rich UNLESS he discovers that in his poverty there is something that he can give. A man therefore will only be able to give something if he has deep knowledge of who he is. When God created him, God admired His work and said, "It is good." There is something good in each of us. What is it? Again, the great mystery unsolved. Until you face your Creator and look into the Great Mirror, you will never know who you really are and what you are really good at. The key to your wealth is to approach your Maker so you will know what it is in you that you can give. When you make this discovery, freely share this with others. And as you give, so shall you receive. The more productive you are, the wealthier you will be. But for the person who refuses to produce, who refuses to give... even what he has will be taken away from him.

Do Not Worry About Money

Inspired by Matthew 6:24-25,32-33: God and Possessions

Jesus said, "You cannot serve both God and money. This is why I tell you: do not be worried about the food and drink you need in order to stay alive, or about clothes for your body. After all, isn't life worth more than food? And isn't the body worth more than clothes? Your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. Instead be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires of you, and he will provide you with all these things."

What is the prerequisite to having all these things.... food, drink, clothing and such possession? Answer: Concern beyond these things. Concern with the Kingdom of God and what He requires of you. Have you ever asked yourself, what does God require of me? Why did God create me? What did He mean for me to do on earth? What is my role in the Greater Scheme of Things? If we are able to discover that and do that.... that is the source of abundance... of having all these things and so much more.

Study the life of rich men who are honest and see how they became rich. It is by doing what God required them to do that they have achieved such greatness. Not everyone is called to be preachers or priests. We have our places to fill in God's majestic masterpiece. He made painters to make beautiful murals. He made healers to alleviate sufferings. He made musicians to uplift sad souls. He made everyone with innate talents designed to glorify Him with the honest performance of such talents for His greater glory.

If you are doing what you are doing simply because you are worried about what tomorrow may bring not because it is what you think God is requiring you to do for His Kingdom, you should start asking God for His real designs for you. This requires real discernment, proper guidance and a lot of prayer. You just do not abandon ship and pursue hedonistic goals. Remember, God is the real Master you serve with whatever task it is that He has assigned you to do which may look menial to others but which causes so much fulfillment in you.

Self-Knowledge as Key to Wealth

Inspired by Mark 6:34-44 when Jesus Feeds Five Thousand Men:

When I read this gospel, I got perplexed. Here, you could see the disciples urging Jesus to send the people away so they can buy food for themselves. Jesus replied, "You yourselves give them something to eat." Then the disciples answered in what I can imagine as some sort of a protest..." If we are to give them food, we must go and buy two hundred silver coins' worth of bread." This was a way of saying, 'Lord, it is not within our budget.' I can recall so many times answering that way when urged or inspired by God to do something. But what is His answer to this?

"You have some loaves: how many? Go and see." Only then did the disciples found that they have five loaves and two fishes.

Then what did Jesus do... he asked for the five loaves and two fishes. He took these, raised His eyes to heaven, pronounced a blessing broke the loaves and handed them for distribution. The same was done with the fishes. It fed five thousand men and gave a leftover of twelve baskets.

From what little resources the disciples had, Jesus blessed and made plenty. The essence of His miracle is not simply confined to the mere fact that He provided because He knows fully well that He can do that. But what He wants to stress is that we have to participate in the miracle; we have a role to play and He blesses what meager resources we have to make it more than enough. The abundance starts from within us, not externally. It is already inherent in us. What do I have? That is what God is asking. Whatever little I have is worth sharing. But first I need to discover what I have: my talents, my treasures, my skills, the works of my hands... Self-knowledge is essential to a life of abundance. We only need to offer what little we have to Him and He can bless it and multiply it. That is how He asks us to deal with the material world. If I have nothing to offer, He has nothing to bless and multiply.

We seek for an abundant life and He is pointing out that the answer is within us. How wrongly we pray. We ask that He give us the two hundred silver coins so we can buy the bread when we should actually ask ourselves, 'what do I have?' Because with our five loaves and two fishes, He can bless and multiply not only to provide for a "just enough" life but to a "more than enough" life for all people. What we have inside us will not only make our own life rich and wealthy when we start sharing it but it will also enrich other people's lives. Jesus is not referring to spiritual enrichment... He is actually referring to material enrichment, tangible and real.

The Real Financial Planner MD

I have created this blog to teach others what I have learned about financial planning. What I soon realized is that Jesus is the real teacher and the Gospel contains the basic tenets of financial planning. With this realization, I have resolved that starting this year, I shall devote this blog to financial planning the scriptural way. It shall still have the same title but now hold a more significant meaning and content.

What made me stumble upon this realization was the gospel reading of January 4, 2009 commemorating the Epiphany or Three Kings. I asked Jesus this question after reading the gospel during my morning prayer:

'You were offered gold, frankincense and myrrh so I concluded that your family must have gotten rich from such precious gifts. However, when the time of your presentation to the temple occured, Mother Mary and St. Joseph was only able to offer two doves or two pigeons indicating that your family cannot afford to offer a lamb. What happened to your wealth?'

I was surprised that the Lord took effort to answer this question that was left unanswered through the priest who gave the homily on the Sunday mass that we attended. "The gold, frankincense and myrrh were meant to provide for the Holy Family when they fled Bethlehem and went to Egypt to escape Herod's wrath. It was also used to finance their trip to Nazareth upon Herod's death."

'So contrary to what authors would believe, Your family is not really wealthy,' I told the Lord.

And He answered: "Real wealth is wealth that suffices the needs of the body, mind and soul. Mere financial freedom is not real wealth unless you live a truly meaningful and fulfilling life... a life that answered to the call from within. Wealth comes freely and easily as I need it. I can summon the fish to open its mouth and provide me with coins. I can fill the net with an abundant catch. Wealth in the material sense is subject to me. But it is not what I have come for. I have a higher call. (So do you). These are mere instruments under my disposal. But I do not need to possess these. My detachment is my real freedom. I can freely come and go. I am focused. I know why I am on earth. Doing my Father's will is my fulfillment. My life is offered for all so that all may be saved. I have come so you may have life and have it to the full... have it abundantly. Come and follow me. Inspire others to follow me so they may also experience the fullness of life."

Credit Cards

Why do I have credit cards? I used to own two Mastercards, one of which gives me the opportunity to earn miles because I love to travel. My mastercard has now earned me enough miles to fly me to Europe via Northwest. Since I am paying for an annual membership for my second card which is also a mastercard, I decided to discontinue it and applied for a Visa card which gave me a free gift certificate of roundtrip domestic travel via Asian spirit. This Visa card also waives the annual membership fee if you meet the minimum amount charged to the card. What do I charge with my credit cards? Almost everything that I have to pay cash for anyway: groceries, fuel, tuition fees, pre-need premiums, school and office supplies. If I can swipe it with my card, I will... for the points. I just have one rule for all my credit card swipes --- I pay everything in full at the end of the month.

How do I keep track of my credit card expenses? I always keep all receipts. I have a separate envelope for my cash receipts and another envelope for my credit card receipts. I set aside my cash payment for the credit card even before the monthly bill comes in. As soon as I have put aside cash for a particular transaction, I write "ok" on the credit card receipt. This way I am able to monitor which receipts have been "funded" with and which are still due. All the credit card cash payments are then deposited to a checking account. The money in that checking account is considered "spent". So when the bill comes in at the end of the month, there is a standby fund in the checking account which I just conveniently transfer for the payment of my credit card bill. No matter how huge the amount is, I know there is fund for that because I keep track of the receipts and have "okayed" these with the cash payment.

So what is the important lesson here? When you swipe your credit card, make sure you have the equivalent cash to pay for that particular transaction and set that cash aside immediately to a checking account. At the end of the month, all the receipts will have that "ok" sign on it and you can pay all your transactions with peace of mind. This way you do not get into huge credit card debts because of the interests incurred by unpaid transactions. At the same time, you are able to benefit from the freebies that your card is offering you.