To jumpstart the year in preparation of our 10th anniversary come June, we had our first [M.O.B.] Rules last February 1, 2009 at the Sacred Heart Community located at Military Cut-off, Baguio City. It was a good start indeed as Cathedral Chapter, Balatoc Chapter, and Aurora Hill Chapter attended the meeting. Everybody was prepared by the Lord as Bro. Ren Bernardez, head of the Sacred Heart Community, took the floor and gave us a morning full of inspiration by being our recollection master.

Vessels and Faucets

The Lord is the only Source of eternal water that people need to quench their thirst. However, the Lord needs faucets and vessels to get the water where it needs to be. We are the faucets and the vessels. Unworthy as we are, just like the weak people and sinners in the Bible, we are being used by God in many different ways to bring out the message of His love to the world. He needs us that is why He continuously call people to be His disciples.

Nevertheless, even if He needs us, we cannot afford to take the glory for what only God can do. Keep in mind the words of St. Paul “I know that good does not live in me – that is, in my human nature. For even though the desire to do good is in me, I am not able to do it.” (Romans 7:18). This reminds us to remain humble for it is by God’s grace that we are able to do good. It is by His grace that we have the privilege of serving. Faucets are useless if there is no water. What good is a vessel if it is empty? “Yet we who have this spiritual treasure are like common clay pots, in order to show that the supreme power belongs to God, not to us.” (2Corinthians 4:7)

Hence, always remember that in everything we do as Brevs, what makes the difference is the one behind the faucet.

The Call to be Disciples

We are given the account on how Jesus called His first Disciples. He SAW them; He CALLED them; they LEFT something and maybe someone; they FOLLOWED Him.

We see here that Jesus will always take the initiative to come close to us. He always see in us the confusion and longings in our hearts. As St. Augustine would put it, “my heart is restless until it finds rest in You.” He is there to fill the emptiness in our hearts. Once we stop what we are doing and listen to our hearts, we will definitely hear the most wonderful voice calling us.

The Call of Jesus contains a Command and a Promise. He calls us to learn obedience. It is only by obedience that we will have clarity in our lives. It is by obedience that we become authentic disciples. The Promise is that with our obedience to His call, we are able to live with Him and be like Him. By our obedience, we free ourselves from the bondage of sin and the deceitful happiness the world is offering us. By being like Him, we are able to live in harmony with the people around us as we fulfill our destiny of being for His people.

Our Response

If you continue to read the story of the first disciples, you would notice that all of them left something or even someone. They left their comfort zones – the safe and familiar. They immediately responded as they saw the prize in exchange of their sacrifice. It was indeed a heavenly prize. Though they were not sure where they will be led, they simply obeyed and followed Him. No questions asked because they knew Who had called them and that was enough for them. Blessed are they who have simple minds with simple hearts!

Being a Brev does not simply mean responding to a meeting or being present in all the services and music practice. It does not simply mean displaying our talents and what we can do to have a successful activity inside and outside the church. Our call as Brev is to actually respond to a life with Christ – a life of holiness. It is not just service, it is being with our brothers and sisters and live in harmony through obedience to the Word of God wherever we are.

We are called to leave something behind. It may not be material things. It may not be our studies or our profession. But more than what the eyes could see, we are being challenged to unclothed ourselves from the principles of the secular. We are asked to surrender our treasures of pride, deception, lust, greed, distorted principles, anger and favourite sins so that we could embrace the REAL and GREATEST TREASURE – JESUS!

It maybe a sacrifice but it is victory at hand. Remember that people were drawn to Jesus and they followed Him everywhere. Hence, if we want to draw more souls to Jesus, we have to reflect Jesus in our very lives. “You must be perfect – just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48) Therefore, fellow brevs, go and be a real disciple. Be a real Brev!