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Consoling the heart of Jesus

Good Friday meditation drawing  When Saint Therese was a little girl she had a prayer card with a painting of Jesus imprisoned in his cell looking at a single flower. This single flower was the source of his consolation. Saint Therese from those moments wished to be that flower providing comfort to our Lord throughout her life.

TQT: The Mustard Seed

Eugenio Hansen Photograph, OFS [CC BY-SA 4.0], from Wikimedia Commons



What is the smallest thing you have ever seen?

Maybe a speck of dust, or grain would be it.  In the photo above, it could easily be missed (the seed is next to the ring).

FULL GROWN MUSTARD TREE (Salvadora Persica)


"it is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches."  Matthew 13:32



Seeds do indeed sprout and as time and rain and sun do it's work, the seeds that were so little, become gigantious compared to its former size. 

We no doubt have to guard against seeds of doubt.  As these have the potential of thoughts leading to fear and inaction.



A story that illustrates this in my own life began about a decade ago.

My family and I visited relatives in Australia and one morning before going out to do some sightseeing, I had my time of quiet with the Lord.

I ended the prayer recalling that I asked the Lord to use me that day and to allow me to bring His goodness - even to strangers.

On the train, a tall, pretty lady with black hair chatted with me (which is quite unusual).  She was very nice and I enjoyed our conversation.

On the way home, on a different train (at the end of the day) in another part of town, I met the same lady!  We were both startled when we found ourselves on the same train, twice in one day (in a different part of town).  No, she was not stalking us.


When we met each other again, I found out that she was a Christian and was active in her church.  Then along the course of the conversation, she said, "is it true that there are children on the streets begging in the Philippines?"  I was stunned by her question and told her, "yes it is true".  She said that she wanted to come and help the children.  I was so inspired and amazed at her - to want to come to a foreign land, to help children.


We parted ways and tried to give each other our contact information but for some reason, we never got to connect again.  For me that was a divine appointment.


That was the seed that started something big in my heart.  I felt ashamed that as I grew up, I would see street children begging at our car window and (as ugly as this may sound), would not feel an ounce of pity.


It took this lady from Australia, a stranger - to plant a seed of guilt and conviction in me - to help in any way I could.


As the days passed and as my prayers intensified.  "Lord I am afraid to go into the shanties.  I am afraid to talk to people. I am not good in Tagalog.  I am so small and defenceless.  What can I do?"


Amidst asking the Lord to show me what to do - the seed of an idea came to me.  Education.  The children can rise from poverty if they study, graduate and get jobs.   Their life can change with education.



Soon enough, more friends shared the vision.  We visited He Cares Foundation and the founder, Joe Dean Sola asked us to tutor the scholars.  He said that despite the foundation's support for the children, they were dropping out of school.


We said, "we are not trained tutors".  He said, "just be their friends".  And so that is what we did.  We would be there for the kids 2x a month.  I lost my fear of going to the informal settler communities and got better in speaking in Tagalog.


The children who first came to us wore ragged clothes, unresponsive to our questions, didn't take a bath, unsmiling and generally looking unhappy.


As we kept going, there was an obvious change to the children.  They would come to the tutorial sessions freshly smelling, with smiles, more courteous, friendly and happier-looking.


When we first looked at their grades, almost everyone was in danger of getting booted out of their scholarship - as they had to maintain a certain average to retain it.   We thought of an incentive - to treat out the scholars who achieved the highest grades.  Out of 30 or so children in the first year, only about 5 attained good grades.


After the 1st, 2nd 3rd years, we had to find help with funding our treats because almost all of the children had high grades already.


Almost a decade into the program, more and more of the children we tutored have stayed in school.  From around 10 children we tutored then - it has now grown to 83 students being tutored weekly.


I am waiting for all of our students to graduate from college.  Some of them chose to work rather than continue on to college - but I am still hoping and praying for all of them.



I cannot say that the seed I once had is already full grown.  But I can already see the birds perching on it's branches.  May the program keep growing strong and be able to change lives.


If you wish to volunteer as a tutor, please see this page for updates, schedules and how-to's.

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