2017 November Inspiration Nook The Word

The Word: a light on our path

“Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” –Luke 11:28 | NIV

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. –James 1:22 | NIV

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. –Psalm 119:105 | NIV

We need the Word of God to guide us in this life, especially as we journey towards the home of Our Father. Whether we like it or not, we need this guidance. It is not just the Word as we find it in the Bible or in tradition but the Word Itself: the Incarnate Lord Himself as we find Him lying on the manger and hanging on the Cross or as a “prisoner of love” in our Tabernacles. We need to listen to the Word uttered by preachers and which we read in the Bible; we need to receive the Word in the Sacraments, especially in the Eucharist. We should be strengthened by doing so and enabled to courageously face temptations that menacingly surround us and the various challenges of life as we struggle to keep soul and body alive. How wonderful it would be if we are always aware of this, His loving presence in our life. We would always be recipients not only of His guidance but of His power, His love, His mercy.

On the other hand we would be so weak without Him that we would not even utter the word Father, much less ask for His forgiveness and mercy. But if we are with Him, who can be against us, whom shall we fear? Blessed Jordan Saxony wrote: “There are some whose aim is beauty, who do cultivate their consciences, who do seek perfection and who do work hard at their preaching, who are zealous in study, whose hearts catch fire in their prayers and meditations, who keep the Lord always before them, looking to him as the one who will reward and judge their souls.”

Fr. Reynaldo J. Adalid, O.P.
Rev. Fr. Rey Adalid, O.P. has been a Dominican priest for more than 50 years. He was instrumental in molding the lives of several candidates to the Dominican Order as he was the Director of Vocations and Postulancy inclusive from 1972-1982. To date, his influence has borne fruit to a great number of active priests and brothers, either in the Order of Preachers or in different dioceses. For 10 years Fr. Rey was assigned in Navotas City where he was responsible for building the San Lorenzo Ruiz Parish church and community. Armed with the reputation as church builder, Fr. Rey was then assigned to the newly established Holy Redeemer Parish in Masambong, Quezon City where he was tasked by the Archdiocese of Manila to build its Parish church and community as well. After finishing his task within 3 years, he was assigned by the CBCP, with consent of the Father Provincial, to be the Spiritual Director of the Pontifical Colegio Filipino in Rome (residence of Filipino Diocesan Priests studying in Rome) from 1998-2007. He is currently assigned at the University of Santo Tomas in Espana Avenue, Manila, where he has returned to his work of molding the minds of the youth. In his spare time, Fr. Rey continues to work passionately in his preaching apostolate. Lately he fulfilled one item in his bucket list with the visit to the 8th wonder of the world – Niagara Falls, while attending the Filii-North America reunion held in Toronto, Canada. Revered as “ama” (symbolic father figure) by the Filii, Fr. Rey lends his time as “unofficial” advisor and spiritual guide of the Filii as an organization. He calls it more as co-wayfarer of the Filii.

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