The Man on the Cross

background photo from www.christianmyspace.com | words by tine magpayo

The Man on the Cross
by Christine Magpayo

What causes me to move is the stillness

of the Man on the cross.

He is the conqueror of death—

the perfect picture of fulfilment.

The stillness of my God on the cross

Causes me to go on and on.

He is peace; He is motivation;

He is hope; He is love; He is strength.

Each part of Him is beautiful:
His restless feet that walked countless miles
and His tired hands that touched and healed

the sick and the suffering

had been nailed to permanence.
His limbs are like tree branches
whipped and broken by the storm winds,
but now appears to be embracing the clear skies.

As a cloud can give out
so much rain, His weary body
had shed so much blood.
Bereft of life,

His body hung low and gray.
Leaning on the wooden cross,

My Savior looks tranquil.
The cold flesh feels no more pain.

Looking at His bowed head,

I see the features of His face:

Eyes (now closed) that looked with compassion
and lips that spoke only of goodness and truth.
Like an infant asleep
After a day of cries and smiles,
Calmness can be traced
from the curves of my Savior’s  face.

Nothing and no one ever compares
to the God of all who died for me.
He served His purpose so I can serve mine.
What is my mission compared to His?
Love will keep me alive
because His love is enough.
Not only it is freely given,
But also more than what I deserve.

On Dreams and Faith

background photo from brickworkz.com | text by tine magpayo

KNOW WHAT YOU WANT
You're human. You think; you feel; you dream. Whether you admit it or not, you have big dreams buried in the deepest corners of your heart. Don't keep them there... Acknowledge them. It is through knowing the true desires of your heart that you are able to discover yourself.



BELIEVE IN WHAT YOU WANT
As we grow older, we come to realize that we live in a cruel world. As Mother Gothel in the animated film Enchanted put it: "The world is dark and cruel. If it finds even the smallest ray of light, it destroys it." There will be little voices whispering "You can make it," but there will also be big voices screaming "You cannot do it." Nonetheless, it is still your choice to whom you will listen to.Have some faith, kid. There must be a reason why God placed that dream in your heart. And there's probably a better reason that dream stayed in your heart amidst all the attempts to make it vanish.



WORK FOR WHAT YOU WANT
BAD NEWS: It is truly very hard to actualize visions. GOOD NEWS: You've got your whole life ahead of you. Think that everything you do is a step that leads you to your Big Dream. Work on the little things and one day you'll find yourself just a fingertip away from the big thing.



PRAY FOR WHAT YOU WANT
You may be a smart, sufficiently emotional, and hardworking human but that doesn't change the fact that you are only human. In the words of Fr. Gerry Orbos, we have to remember two things in this life: First, there is a GOD and second, none of us is HIM. We have a God who listens and who is very much willing to help us if we only ask for it. One of my favorite Bible verses is Mark 11:24 "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." 

Have faith in yourself, faith in your dreams, and faith in our GOD.