How do you face conflicting and ambiguous situations in your life ? - Daily Reflections March 6,2015

A TWO-PRONGED STANCE   Our Mass readings today run parallel with each other, hinting at (in the case of the First Reading) and referring to (in the case of the Gospel) the sufferings of Jesus Christ. The first is the saga of Joseph, sold into slavery by his own brothers. The Gospel is a parable, thinly disguised to refer to Jesus’ fate in Calvary.          As Good Friday is still four weeks away, there seems to be a certain restraint as far as the plot to kill Jesus is concerned. As we read in the last verse, “Although they sought to arrest him they had reason to fear the crowds who regarded him as a prophet.”          That last point is clear and direct — the crowds truly regarded Jesus as a prophet. In contrast, Jesus made a veiled hint to the chief priests and the Pharisees in the punchline of His parable. We can just imagine their uneasiness and anger againt Jesus.      But they could not arrest Jesus just yet. Their anticipation or foreboding, together with the feeling of uneasiness and uncertainty, combine for an ambiguous situation.         Is it possible that we, too, suffer a similar situation in our lives? Surely there must be (and there are!) ambiguities and uncertainties, like being unable to reach the ideal because we have to make do and deal with people with limitations. Or that situation when we are torn apart because of conflicting realities calling for our attention and focus.          Perhaps we can take a cue from both Joseph in the First Reading and our Lord Jesus Christ in the Gospel. One is to affirm an innocence and a serenity — not to escape guile but to better grapple with the reality of evil in this world. The other is to maintain a courageous and confident stance that we are on top of the situation, not because of our own efforts, but because we know that God is the One in control. With such a two-pronged posture, we can better sail through life’s ups and downs. Fr. Martin Macasaet, SDB   REFLECTION QUESTION: How do you face conflicting and ambiguous situations in your life ?   Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the realities of my life and the grace to move on, knowing that You are in control of everything.

Di