Daily Reflection with Fr. Tomas Del Valle-Reyes



Dear Friends: Praying is not easy. Our daily routine calls for our full attention. And the world around us puts little value on prayer; our lives are full of material things but at the same time are getting emptier in God’s value.

For this reason, I will post a daily reflection and as you visit this site may the Holy Spirit within you come to your aid and guide you gently to the God who loves you
.


Sunday, March 19, 2023

Caller ID

On a Saturday night several weeks ago, this pastor was working late, and decided to call his wife before he left for home.  
It was about 10:00 PM, but his wife didn't answer the phone. 
 The pastor let the phone ring many times.
He thought it was odd that she didn't answer, but decided to wrap up a few things and try again in a few minutes
When he tried again she answered right away. 
He asked her why she hadn't answered before, and she said that it hadn't rung at their house. 
They brushed it off as a fluke and went on their merry ways.. 
 The following Monday, the pastor received a call at the church office, which was the phone that he'd used that Saturday night. The man that he spoke with wanted to know why he'd called on Saturday night. 
The pastor couldn't figure out what the man was talking about. Then the man said, 'It rang and rang, but I didn't answer.' 
The pastor remembered the mishap and apologized for disturbing him, explaining that he'd intended to call his wife. 
The man said, 'that’s, OK. Let me tell you my story. 
 You see, I was planning to commit suicide on Saturday night, but before I did, I prayed, 'God if you're there, and you don't want me to do this, give me a sign now.'  
At that point my phone started to ring. I looked at the caller ID, and it said, 'Almighty God'. 
I was afraid to answer!'.  The reason why it showed on the man's caller ID that the call came from 'Almighty God' is because the church that the pastor attends is called Almighty God Tabernacle!
 God bless! READ EACH SENTENCE SLOWLY AND THINK ABOUT IT.
 Love starts with a smile, grows with a kiss, and ends with a tear. Don't cry over anyone who won't cry over you. 
Good friends are hard to find, harder to leave, and impossible to forget.
Don't let the past hold you back, you're missing the good stuff. 
 BEST FRIENDS are the siblings God forgot to give us. 
When it hurts to look back, and you're scared to look ahead, you can look beside you and your BEST FRIEND will be there.
Nobody is perfect until you fall in love with them.


Descubriendo el Siglo 21
Discovering 21century
Fr Tomás Del Valle-Reyes
P. O. BOX 1170
New York, NY 10018
(212) 244 4778

Sunday, March 12, 2023

Don't give up.......

One day I decided to quit...
I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality. .. I wanted to quit my life.
I went to the woods to have one last talk with God.
"God", I asked, "Can you give me one good 
reason not to quit?"
His answer surprised me...
"Look around", He said. "Do you see the fern and the bamboo?"
"Yes", I replied.
"When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, 
I took very good care of them.
I gave them light.
I gave them water.
The fern quickly grew from the earth.
Its brilliant green covered the floor.
Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo.
In the second year the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful.
And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed.
But I did not quit on the bamboo. 
He said.
"In year three there was still nothing from the bamboo seed.
But I would not quit.
In year four, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed.
I would not quit." He said.
"Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth.
Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant. ..
But just 6 months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall.
It had spent the five years growing roots.
Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive.
I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle."
He asked me. "Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots".
"I would not quit on the bamboo.
I will never quit on you."
"Don't compare yourself to others."
He said.
"The bamboo had a different Purpose than the fern.
Yet they both make the forest beautiful."
"Your time will come", God said to me.
"You will rise high"
"How high should I rise?"
I asked.
"How high will the bamboo rise?" He asked in return.
"As high as it can?" I questioned.
"Yes." He said, "Give me glory by rising as high as you can."
I left the forest and brought back this story.
I hope these words can help you see that God will never give up on you.
Never, Never, Never Give up.
For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
tell the problem how Great the Lord is!
Heavens door opened this morning, God asked me... My CHILD....
what can I do for you?" and I said "Protect and bless the one reading this message.
God smiled and answered ... "request granted ............
This message is now in your hands.
What will YOU do with it?
send this to your friends and family so they too will have their
lives in God's hands
You never know when GOD is going to bless you!! Good things happen when you least expect them to !!!!!!!!

Fr. Tomas Del Valle-Reyes
Descubriendo el Siglo 21/Discovering 21 Century
P.O.BOX 1170
New York, nY  10018
Tel- 212-24-4778
www.descubriendoelsiglo21.com/

http://radiosiglo21.blogspot.com/   
Programa de Radio “La Tertulia”

Sunday, March 5, 2023

THE DREAM

I always used to ask God to show me how to live faith .....
It's already a few years since I had a very significant dream, which is vividly imprinted in my mind and in my heart forevermore. 
No doubt it was an answer to my prayers and it made me feel so deeply cared for and loved!
The dream:
"I climb up a rather high mountain together with many other people. 
We walk in silence on a narrow path, in a row.
I understand that we are pilgrims, when I see a church far away high up on the mountain, beautifully “set” on the horizon. 
I am full of expectancy. I love the mountains and I enjoy the view and the peaceful climbing. When we reach the church and when everybody is inside, I immediately notice a man who shuts all the doors in what seems to me a definitive manner.  
He blocks the doors nailing pieces of wood on them. Instantly I feel claustrophobic and ask the man to please open the doors again.
I don’t like to be closed in, I feel uneasy, I want to go outside again, but there is no reply.

I look around and there I see a staircase. 
I run up the stairs and indeed I find a little door which opens to a balcony and I step out: What I see in that moment is so immensely moving! I see a beautiful green valley stretched before my eyes (it does not seem the same valley we have come from).  
At the end of this valley there is a golden city.
Everything is so extremely brilliant and beautiful that my heart fills with a longing so strong that I can hardly bear it.
I'm overwhelmed and stand there in utter awe for quite a while. Then I do not resist anymore. 
I cry out, I want to go there, I feel within my heart that the Place is like Paradise
It's as if from the shining town a voice called me, “come, come, here is beauty, here is love, here is peace “. ..... Then I hurry downstairs shouting “How can I reach the place I've seen from the balcony? There is a golden city! Please open the doors ...” Nobody answers and I feel deeply frustrated for being closed in. 
Then I find myself standing right in front of the Altar with a little golden Tabernacle. The Tabernacle is beautifully decorated.
While gazing at the Tabernacle I suddenly become silent and I feel at peace. In that moment I hear a beautiful voice saying
"You know the way, I am the way, there is no other way to reach the place you've seen ..... come through the Tabernacle, this is the only way".
The Voice vibrated softly in my heart. My reaction to the “invitation” was strange. I thought “the Tabernacle is too small to get through, I'll never manage ........”.
The dream ended and I woke up just in that moment when I was doubting to make it “through” the Tabernacle.
I remembered vividly everything and finally, my heart strongly pounding, I understood.

JESUS had told me that HE WAS THE WAY! HE IS THE WAY to perfect joy “perfecta laetitia”! And I remembered the words He said to His disciples during the Last Supper “Do this in memory of Me…..”.
The Holy Eucharisty! …. The Tabernacle! Since I had this wonderful dream I approach the Holy Eucharisty in the Tabernacle.....

Descubriendo el Siglo 21
Discovering 21century
Fr Tomás Del Valle-Reyes
P. O. BOX 1170
New York, NY 10018
(212) 244 4778