Do you easily react to a prohibition? How do you see and live your life of faith — in resentment or in joy? - Daily Reflections March 10,2014

IS IT A NO OR YES FOR YOU?

 

I can’t remember who said it but I cannot forget what was said. The line goes, “In the beginning was the word, and the word was ‘No!’” I laughed when I first read it. If you did not after reading this, that means you did not get the message. More so, that means you are not familiar with your Scripture. Any Bible-reading Christian will easily recognize that this was a parody of the prologue of St. John where we read: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).

       Sadly, that is how the world (and some Christians even) perceive Catholic Christianity — a religion of don’ts. In a way it’s understandable. Look at the Ten Commandments, it’s a list of “Thou shall nots.” Look at the First Reading today from the book of Leviticus. The whole tenor of the reading is prohibition, restriction and thou shall not. I actually counted 10 “not,” not counting the “nor” which is almost the same as “not.”

       While I believe the perception is not without basis, it is not unavoidable. It all depends on what we focus on, more like the “half-filled, half-empty” perception question. You see, in every no is a hidden yes. If you said no to going left, that means you said yes to going right.

       The no that we find in the commandment must not be seen in isolation. The same principle applies. We are reminded to say no so that we can freely say yes to a higher value.

       So when the book of Leviticus reminds us to say no to lying, it is actually a yes to the value of sincerity. A no to hatred is a yes to love, a no to sin is a yes to holiness. The same goes for the rest of the admonitions.

       How positive and liberating it will be when we see the rules of faith this way. We are prevented from doing something so that we may be free for something better. Fr. Joel Jason

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: Do you easily react to a prohibition? How do you see and live your life of faith — in resentment or in joy?

 

Grant me, Lord, the courage to say no to things that would not lead me to You, and to say yes to those that will bring me closer to You.