Remembering My Father

A short piece written by Matt’s sister, Katherine, to honor their father, Paul Aguas, on his 21st death anniversary.

My father was a man who had smiles to brighten your days,
Who always made you feel good with his warm words of praise
And what’s more he knew what to do to make your wishes come true.
He was my father.
My father was someone who always had good stories to tell,
But just as importantly he knew how to be a good listener as well.
He was patient & kind and the very best friend you could ever hope to find.
He was no ordinary man,
And I’m proud to tell the world that he was my father.
Rest in peace, Daddy. We miss you so much.

–Katherine Aguas Padua

 

A Private Audience With A Saint

An awesome moment: my Dad and my Mom having a private audience with Pope John Paul II! He will be declared a saint today…

— Matt

“See the Good…”

Matt’s Dad and Mom. Photo taken at Monterey, CA.

See the good. Assume the best. Be ready to forgive.

~ Paul Aguas (Matt’s Dad)

Remembering Dad

Paul Aguas, Matt's Dad, bowing before Mother Teresa of Calcutta while she holds his hands.

“… but she out of her poverty put in all the living that she had.”  ~ Luke 21:4

Paul Aguas was a man who loved God.

When he was young, he was a man of the world. He married young and had a family. He earned his first million at the age of 23. He was successful in his endeavors and enjoyed life to the hilt.

In 1972, he was invited to attend a prayer meeting. Along with his family, the Lord touched them and changed their life forever. Since then, Paul Aguas and his family, chose to live an austere life similar to that of  St. Francis of Assisi. He gave up his material wealth, and spent the rest of his life preaching and teaching the Word of God.

Last 1993, Paul Aguas passed away.

But unto this day, the lives he has changed, the  lives he has enriched, the people he has touched continue to tell us that he was a man who gave up everything for the sake of the Kingdom of God. He lived a life well lived.

Just like the widow in the gospel… who gave everything she had as an offering to God.

~ Jojang

Note: Paul Aguas is Matt’s Dad. Already a successful businessman in his early 20s, he found that being successful and having all the material things wasn’t enough to make him happy. In his early 30s, he had a conversion experience while attending a prayer meeting. He then decided to give up his material wealth and live a simple life. He spent his life as a lay missionary sharing the Good News not only in our country but also in other countries up to his untimely death, at the age of 53, last December 1993. Today is his birthday. 

Prayer

To pray is to open our hearts

And to wait for God to speak

And for God to reveal himself.

To pray is to give God freedom –

Complete freedom

To do what it pleases Him to do with us.

To pray is to believe and to trust

No matter what our Lord does

It is because He loves us.

To pray is to allow God to teach us How to love –

so that prayer becomes

The hunger and the thirst,

The longing and the desire

To love God more.

To pray is to allow God to destroy

The idols in our hearts – and the

Barrier we have placed between God and us,

because of our Self love.

To pray is to suffer the agony of our Sinfulness –

for despite the grace of God

we continue to sin.

To pray is to experience the sorrow of our wickedness

and yet find hope

For if God reveals us ourselves

It is only to reveal His love to us.

To pray is to suffer the agony of not

Loving enough – and to learn to

Wait in hope for God to act

For he alone can increase this desire

How to love more.

To pray is to meet the God of silence

Who loves in silence and works

In silence and brings peace

By healing us.

Speak Lord when it pleases you to speak

Reveal yourself Lord when it pleases you to do so.

I am here Lord – I am here to love you

That is all that matters. You alone matter!

To pray is to walk the journey of faith in our Heart.

Knowing that God is both our Companion and our destination!

– Paul Aguas (Matt’s Dad)

An Awesome Moment

An Awesome Moment... My Dad and My Mom with Pope John Paul II...

– Matt

My Brother’s Passion

My brother, Paul, is a systems administrator by day but he restores old cars during his free time. That’s called passion. Just recently I got an offline message in my YM from him. He said: “Check this out.” It was a link to an article in a car magazine about his latest project – restoring a 1974 Corolla. I know he was proud that his car was featured on the magazine, and I’m happy for him. I invite you also to check it out, too. Enjoy!

– Matt

Click Here To Read About Paul’s 1974 Corolla