Who are your mentors? Do they give you brightness that stays with you even when you’re not with them? - Daily Reflections April 29,2015

COMING TO THE WORLD AS LIGHT

 

Many years ago, we were introduced to the confusing concepts of the “Jesus of history” and the “Christ of faith.” In my simplistic mind then, I could not tell the difference between the two.

       There is, of course, no distinction. Christ Jesus is one and the same person — the Lord of history, the object of our collective and personal faith, the second Person of the Blessed Trinity. This is the truth as far as He is concerned. But as far as we humans are concerned, there may indeed be an important distinction. We could know all there is to know factually, theologically and academically about Jesus the Christ, but we all know that knowing about someone is not exactly the same as knowing someone.

       There was one author and teacher whom I idolized many years ago. I read most of his books before I became his student. I knew all about him and what he wrote, and what I read from his books edified me to the hilt. But things changed when he became my teacher. The warmth that I felt in his writings was nowhere near the reality that I experienced of the dismissive and impatient man that he really was from up close and personal.

       In retrospect, there are good teachers and there are good mentors and guides. Good teachers are meant to be heard and adulated. But mentors and guides are meant to be listened to and emulated. Teachers give enlightenment. Mentors come into your life as light. They offer you brilliance that stays with you forever.

       Writer E. Stanley Jones says, “The early disciples had little ritual but a mighty realization. They went out, not remembering Christ but experiencing Him.”

       We Christians don’t just remember Christ. No, for Christ cannot be done full justice to solely in the remembering, but in the experiencing. He came not just as brightness to be seen, but as light to be experienced! Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: Who are your mentors? Do they give you brightness that stays with you even when you’re not with them?

 

Lord Jesus, thank You for sending me my mentors in life. Bless them with wisdom that they may be able to guide and lead more people to live as You want them to.