Talk
BRO. ALVIN BARCELONA:
Happy New Year! Happy New Dreams!
What are your dreams for? If you know why you continue to dream, and for what are your dreams, the more your dreams will be fulfilled and will have sense.
Many of you must know now the story of my Mom. How she battled cancer for three months, how I brought her back here to the Philippines, and brought her home, we cared for her, and we did everything to extend a little more her life, and made her happy.
My Mom joined the Lord last January 2— the day after New Year. And we laid her to rest— to her final rest— just last Sunday (January 8, 2023). Exactly a week ago— the day of my birthday.
When my Mom was a little stronger— she was already at home
— I would read her the Bible every day— one chapter a day. And because my Mom had been a catechist, to the last years of her life, she would engage me in discussions about the Bible. She would ask me about the characters, the message. And I would enjoy our conversations. But in my last reading with her, she had a different question— no longer about the Bible.
She said, “Guy (that’s how she called me) why isn’t the Lord taking me yet? I’m already bedridden. What else is my purpose in life?”
And so I told my Mom my favorite answer to such a question: “Mom, I don’t know. But this is what I know: even when you’re already here, bedridden, you unite us. We, your children— one came from Mindanao, another one from Bacolod— and your grandchildren are together more than ever— for more than a month— every day. And because you allow me to, I post online you photos and videos every day— since we were in Sydney— and these posts have been blessing thousands of people every day— even you’re here sick. Your life continues to bless thousands, inspiring people to love more their families.”
She smiled, “Thank you.”
That was probably the last of our conversations because afterward, she could no longer speak, she could hardly carry a conversation. And a few days more, she said goodbye. Because probably she thought that her purpose was done already.
Her mission was done. She gave herself permission to die.
This is what I learned: While you’re still alive, while your purpose is still clear with you, you won’t die yet. Not yet, That’s why it should be clear to you why you continue living.
That’s my one big message today: Your purpose is your reason to live.
If you don’t know the answer to why you wake up in the morning, you will start giving yourself permission to die. Maybe not literally. But your dreams will start dying. Or your passion will start dying.
Again: Once you lose your purpose, or think you’ve done it already, you are gradually giving yourself permission to stop living. You must continue to know your purpose and fuel your life with it.
How will I know, Bro. Alvin, if I’ve already done my purpose?
One of my favorite authors, Richard Bach said, “Here is a test to find whether your mission on Earth is finished: If you’re alive, it isn’t.”
Our dreams, your plans, your goals…
The beginning of Bro. Bo’s talk was very beautiful. You dream this year, it’s already half of the first month of the year — how time flies—. But we’re still in goal-setting. I just gave a talk to a company setting its goals for the year. That’s needed. We need to have a plan.
And so I told my Mom my favorite answer to such a question: “Mom, I don’t know. But this is what I know: even when you’re already here, bedridden, you unite us. We, your children— one came from Mindanao, another one from Bacolod— and your grandchildren are together more than ever— for more than a month— every day. And because you allow me to, I post online you photos and videos every day— since we were in Sydney— and these posts have been blessing thousands of people every day— even you’re here sick. Your life continues to bless thousands, inspiring people to love more their families.”
She smiled, “Thank you.”
That was probably the last of our conversations because afterward, she could no longer speak, she could hardly carry a conversation. And a few days more, she said goodbye. Because probably she thought that her purpose was done already.
Her mission was done. She gave herself permission to die.
This is what I learned: While you’re still alive, while your purpose is still clear with you, you won’t die yet. Not yet, That’s why it should be clear to you why you continue living.
That’s my one big message today: Your purpose is your reason to live.
If you don’t know the answer to why you wake up in the morning, you will start giving yourself permission to die. Maybe not literally. But your dreams will start dying. Or your passion will start dying.
Again: Once you lose your purpose, or think you’ve done it already, you are gradually giving yourself permission to stop living. You must continue to know your purpose and fuel your life with it.
How will I know, Bro. Alvin, if I’ve already done my purpose?
One of my favorite authors, Richard Bach said, “Here is a test to find whether your mission on Earth is finished: If you’re alive, it isn’t.”
Our dreams, your plans, your goals…
The beginning of Bro. Bo’s talk was very beautiful. You dream this year, it’s already half of the first month of the year — how time flies—. But we’re still in goal-setting. I just gave a talk to a company setting its goals for the year. That’s needed. We need to have a plan.
God’s Purpose
But I’m telling you: Your dreams, your plans, your goals will be on a shaky and shallow foundation if your purpose is unclear and uncertain.
So, let’s read the Word of God— In the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, as we sing:
Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and the light unto my path.
One verse that says it all. From Romans 8:28:
Do you want all things in your life to work for good? Not just your dream or your plans or your goals.
But even your dark past, your failures, your hurts, your pains— they can work for the good. But there are qualifiers here. We learn big-time from this message. How will they work for the good? You’ve got to love Him.
And you’ve got to be called according to His purpose.
So, it’s clear now that when we talk of purpose, it’s not just about your purpose for your life. You’ve got to live His purpose for your life.
Now, how will you know if you’re living His purpose for your life? It’s also in the verse. No. 1: Love Him. So that when you have a deep personal relationship, you will know. You will know: “I’m doing His purpose for my life.”
Or if you’re off-track.
Again, this is a talk not just about your purpose. It’s a talk about God’s purpose in your life. And about loving Him and having. A deeper personal relationship with Him. So that you know His beautiful plan for you
I’m going to modify my big message a while ago that your purpose is your reason to live. I’m going to add these important words: Your bigger purpose is your bigger reason to live. Because if it’s only your own purpose it will be a short- lived one.
Your Goal
I have another favorite author named Bob Buford who wrote Half Time, Finishing Well, Game Plan, Moving from Success to Significance.
And in his book, he wrote this story about race dogs and how their masters train them— cruel. The master locks his race dogs in a cage and does not feed them. When the dogs are already famished, the master puts a rabbit in front of the dogs. Then the master turns the dogs loose who then run after the rabbit. The dogs do not catch the rabbit because this rabbit is a robot— programmed to run faster than any of the fastest dogs. That’s how the dogs learn to run fast.
Cruel. Crazy.
But one day, the robot rabbit malfunctions. It stops. And so the dogs catch the rabbit and realize it’s not real. It’s fake. So the dogs just run around, some of them keep howling.
Buford says that’s what happens when we chase goals that are not of God’s. We may actually run faster, we may actually catch this goal. We’re happy. But sooner or later, we start discovering it’s not the goal we should run after. It’s fake. It’s not the ultimate prize that we want to have.
Of course, it’s good that in his talk Bro. Bo qualified that there are important goals we must pursue, like having a good job, good health, wealth…
But time and again we hear stories of people who already reached their goals— big time— but still felt empty.
The Bigger Purpose
Michael Phelps— the most decorated Olympian of all time— American swimmer, broke 39 world records, 28 medals— 23 golds, 3 silvers, 2 bronzes, net worth of $100 million. He has everything. But in 2014, he almost committed suicide. He got depressed. Stayed in his room for two weeks.
And people asked, “Why? He’s got everything!”
That’s what is difficult. When you’ve caught everything, what else will you run after?
Until you find out, there are more— aside from the medals.
It’s not bad to be a bemedaled Olympian. But why did he become depressed?
But the better question: How did he recover?
Somebody gave him a book titled The Purpose-Driven Life by Rick Warren. And in 2016, he gave testimony. He said this Purpose-Driven Life book saved him from suicide.
He found a deeper purpose for living on.
Did he stop competing? No. He continued to win medals. But he knew it was more than about the medals… Later, he already lost a swimming competition. He was defeated by a younger competitor. But it’s okay. He knew there was a deeper victory in life.
Because again, you will discover, sooner or later, that your bigger purpose is God’s purpose— for you.
4 P’s of Life’s Purpose
1. Priorities
I’m going to share with you four Ps that I learned from the daily Masses during the five-day wake of my Mom— three days in Manila, two days in Bulacan.
On the first day, Fr. Paolo Asprer, our Feast Bay Area priest, who celebrated the Mass— and he spoke about priorities.
Fr. Pao said our Mom was really a teacher…
Actually, she was— even before I was born she was already a teacher and she taught until the years of her life, she was still teaching.
Fr. Pao said until the last days of her life, she was teaching you about what is more essential in life: Priorities.
I bet this is also your experience. We’re too busy for our parents — especially when they are old already. But once they get sick— I hope not— but when they are already bedridden, that’s when we let go of our concerns so that we could have time for our parents.
And that’s what happened. I started re-learning what is truly important in life. What is truly essential.
We were taking care of my Mom during the busiest and craziest season of the year. Christmas season — parties left and right, events left and right. But we started dropping them in favor of taking care of my Mom.
But my Mom was not selfish. I was supposed to be a speaker in The Feast Conference in Davao. But I begged off. And the organizers understood.
But my Mom knew about my schedule and she said, “Aren’t you supposed to be a speaker at the Feast Conference in Davao?
I said, “Oh, yes, Mom. But I’m here for you.”
She said, “Why are you here? Go there. Go where you are needed… “ My Mom also knew what should be my priorities.
She said, “Go there, I’m not dying yet. I will wait for you. Just come back to me.” So, I flew to Davao.
Even my Mom knew the priorities, the urgency of things.
That’s what we should ask when we are planning this Year 2023: What should first take place in our hearts? What. Are the levels of priorities? What are your dreams that you should attend to first? What is your non- negotiable? What is urgent? What is important? And what is essential? These are very, very crucial questions that you ask.
The Bible says in Matthew 16: 21: Where your treasure is, there your heart will also be.
You see clearly. Because how you set your priorities is how you will live your life. Your life is defined by your priorities.
3. Presence
The second night of the wake, the priest who celebrated the Mass, was Fr. Albert Garong. And Fr. Albert spoke about Presence.
The Gospel then was about Emmanuel — God is with us.
Fr. Albert said you showed the most important gift. Christmas season, thinking of gifts. This is what I realized: What is the best gift to give when someone’s dying? Jewelry? Shoes? Car? House? They are no longer valuable.
Fr. Albert said, “You gave her the best gift: Your Presence.”
And my siblings also thanked me that I brought home my Mom, because I was able to give the best gift to my Mom: Their Presence. As my Mom was giving her. best gift to us — her presence for the last days of her life.
You want to know what is one of God’s most important purposes for you? It’s to be present to people whom God gave you— mainly your family and people who need you the most. Never skip that essential purpose for the more important ones.
You know what comes to my mind is the parable of the Good Samaritan.
He was a merchant. He was going to an important appointment. But he stopped for what is essential— gave his presence, gave his time, gave his resources, gave his service to someone in need.
I’m going to tell you again: What we do is important — but never skip the more essential things. You should test your dreams, your goals, your plans, your preoccupation if they indeed lead you to loving and serving others more —- especially your family.
That’s what we often hear. Why do we work and work? Work is important. I’m not saying don’t do it. But we do it for family. Sometimes we get too busy with work — the children have grown, they no longer know us, ni more time for them.
Then when we’re about to go back to them, they will say, “ We thought you’re working for our sake, but we lost you already.”
When you’re about to make up for your absence, it’s already too late. His children are now already too busy working to be with him.
Last night, I heard at the wake— about a child, who got too busy working, he no longer had time for his family.
That’s why, ask: “Is your being present to what you’re being more busy now leading you to your ultimate purpose? Because your purpose should manifest in your presence.
4. Presentation
Finally, on the last night of the wake for my Mom— the fifth night— the one who celebrated the Mass was Fr. Ben, spiritual adviser of Feast Bulacan. He spoke about Presentation.
Because the day was the Eve of the Epiphany — when the child Jesus presented Himself to mankind, represented by the Three Wise Men,
Interestingly, because that was the last day of the wake for my Mom, her students gathered — batches spanning decades, four, five decades. And they presented— they spoke on how my Mom touched their life, influenced their life.
I was happy, I cried. Because the more I heard what my Mom had done for them.
That reminded me of what Stephen Covey said: Begin with the end in mind.
So, since the Year 2023 is just beginning, it might be good to advance it to December.
Like, if you’re thinking you’re going to build a business, see your business already flourishing.
And again— I just gave a talk for a company that was trying to hit this goal —P100 million, for example. So, advance to December, and see the company hitting the goal.
If your goal is to be slim, you must already hear in December people telling you, “Uy, you’re already slim!”
Visualize it. Begin with the end in mind.
But while we’re at that, advance your vision further on to the end— in your own wake. When you’re already laid in your coffin: What do you think people will say about you? That’s what I heard from my Mom. Will the people say, “That person is successful.
He’s intelligent. He’s rich. He has lots of money. But he is selfish. He is mean.”
We don’t want that. At the end, what we want to hear is: “That person is helpful, caring, loving, giving.”
Do this exercise. You see yourself laying in your coffin… What will people be saying about you?
You might be saying, “Bro. Alvin is so morbid. The year is just beginning and he’s already talking about death.”
But isn’t that what happened to us, my family? The New Year had just opened, yet we were attending the wake…
And it’s a fact that every January there are already many problems— because of the toxic combination of over-drinking, overeating, lack of sleep.
Another P—
But again, even the Bible tells us:
In your wake, what do you want people to present to you?
The ultimate purpose— again— is to live a life of significance so that when you leave this world, your life had made the life of others better.
Think of this: What’s our ultimate purpose? The with God.
But why we were made to still pass by the Earth? When we were created, we should have been in Heaven right away.
What are we doing here? Another P— Practice.
You see, in Heaven, we will love each other forever. So we were made to pass by Earth so that we can already practice loving one another.
So, Bro Bo said, All that you are going to do should be leading to Love. So that when you’re presented in Heaven, you are already ready to love forever.
I was supposed to say that your Presentation culminates your Purpose. But you must have noticed in my talk I skipped the third night for the wake of my Mom.
The Mass was celebrated. By Fr. Joel Jason. And he spoke about Purpose— in the center of my Mom’s wake, in the middle of her wake.
And Fr. Joel spoke about my Mom’s purpose— making up, inventing, a story about my Mom.
He said Aida, when she died and faced St. Peter, St Peter asked her name.
My Mommy said her name: Aida Perez Barcelona Aguilos Wilson.
St. Peter then said, “Your name is very long, a.”
And Fr. Joel kidded about the colourful life of my mother— that’s why she had three surnames. I wont tell you the story. It’s already gossip.
But Fr. Joel said, St. Peter was looking for my mother’s name in the. Book of the Dead — it was not there.
He asked, “What did you do when you were alive?” My mother said, “I was a teacher all my life.”
St. Peter gasped, “You were a teacher? That’s why your name is not in the Book of the Dead. Because your name is in the Book of Life. Because teachers never die. They live on in the heart and mind of each of the people they touch.
You Are His Purpose
You want to live on forever? You will— with God in Heaven. But you’re on Earth. You can live on— with the love that you give to people. You know, time flies. Next month, it’s already February. Before February ends, guess what, it’s. Already Lenten season. And it all leads to that: from the Cross, to the Crib. From the Manger to Mt. Calvary.
And what. Does Jesus remind us here?
All His life He lived purposefully. Doing His Father’s Purpose And why did He give up His life, Why did He offer His life?
For you. You were His purpose.
From the joyful Christmas to the glorious Easter, it was all about a purpose- driven life.
So, I pray this New Year and all the rest of our life, God’s purpose gives us the reason to live on— here on Earth and in Heaven.
Let’s come before the Lord— in His Presence, for His Purpose.
