In the Philippines, some congressmen are planning to pass a law that would lower the retirement age of government employees to 56. That's good news! Most people work so hard in their younger years that, when they grow old, they can retire comfortably. Now, if this law is approved, people can retire much earlier. They can then spend their remaining years enjoying life and their families. But is that all we can really expect when people grow old? Interestingly, the Bible speaks of many examples of people who, when they grew old, chose to live productively and fruitfully for the Lord in spite of their old age.

An "Open Door" is an opportunity from God that we must "TEST" or discern. That is the nature of an "Open Door." It is not simply an opportunity that we must grab the moment we see it. Instead, we must take the time to pray and seek guidance from the Lord, especially through the help of spiritual friends or companions. It's not an easy task. We can make mistakes along the way. The choices are not always clear. But why? Why would God give us these "Open Doors" and yet not make them so crystal clear that it is from Him? Why do we have to go through all the trouble of discerning them and thus make possible mistakes along the way?

Because of the advancement in medical science and technology, it's now possible for people to live long lives. If you add a healthy diet and regular exercise, we may live longer than most people a hundred years ago. But the length of our lives is not as important as the quality of our lives. How we live each day is what glorifies our Lord. We need to learn how to live a full life in the Lord.

It's not easy to be a parent these days. One difficult challenge is the scarcity of time. We don't have the time to parent our children well, and we feel guilty about it. We delegate this task to the school or the church, but we know it's not enough. Children are growing up without a moral compass because parents are seldom present to mentor or guide them. Add the influence of media and technology, and the results are not surprising. We need to learn the principles of pious parenting.

The term "Christian" is now used to distinguish a person who is not a "Catholic." But usually what it means is that person is no longer attending a "Catholic" Mass or is no longer doing what "Catholics" do (e.g. pray the rosary, pray to Mary or the saints, etc.). But, other than that, what is the true difference between the two? It has nothing to do with externals. In fact, it has nothing to do with labels. It has everything to do with how the Gospel has impacted their lives.

Sometimes when we think about the birth of Jesus, we only think about it as a cute story. We may add some religious meanings to it, but it is still just a nice story that we tell children during Christmas time. We don't really see it as something personal, something that can and must affect us personally. That's why it's good to revisit and ponder upon the story of the birth of Christ even though it is not yet Christmas time. Perhaps, we may be able to see how personally meaningful it is for all of us.

Evangelism is our task as the people of God while we are in this world. But what does it mean? Some people are confused about this word. Some people think it's about helping the poor. Of course, that's important. But that is not what evangelism is all about. Others think it's about inviting people to the church. Again, that is important, too. But that is not the meaning of evangelism also. We need to understand what evangelism means.

An "Open Door" is an opportunity given by God to us so that we can experience the presence of Christ, the purpose of God, and the power of the Holy Spirit. Thus, it is our foretaste of heaven on earth. But how do we know if an "Open Door" is actually set before us by God? What if we are wrong? How can we be sure? In other words, how do we discern an "Open Door"? The answer? We need to TEST it.

We are called to be witnesses of the Gospel. Sharing the Good News with others is our privilege and responsibility. But not many of us are doing it effectively. Effective witnessing is all about sharing the Good News to others so that they are persuaded to trust God also. But how do we do that in such a way that we do not alienate people in the process?

For most people, worship is what we feel when we are in a religious activity or event. That feeling may be inspired by the music, the preaching, the ambience, or any other external trigger. But seldom is it the realization of who God is and what He has done for us or for other people. Although feelings are important, it is not the essence of worship. True worship is our response to the personal revelation of God.