WORK IN PROGRESS
Meet Antonio. At 33, he is a father of six kids from four different women he loved before. He was not able to finish college, after trying out an average of
one semester at various universities and colleges in Metro Manila. He
could have been the epitome of a man without ambition. He took life in
jest. And while he is not an intellectual person, he is street-smart —
so smart, he outsmarts other people, even his own self.
You see, he was made to believe that he was good for nothing. So much
so that for some time, he blamed himself for the separation of his
parents when he was six years old. Because they got married when they
were barely 16, his parents never learned to hurdle the challenges of
their marital union. This devastated Antonio, and this could have been
the root of his dilemma in his relationships. All the negativity, the
trauma and the sad stories surrounding him while he was growing up
molded his person, but while these signaled for him a life started on
the wrong foot, he managed to bounce back and was given the chance to
make up for lost
time.
The Gospel today reminds us that “everything that goes into a person from outside cannot defile; what comes out of the man, that is what defiles him.”
No matter how hard life can be for us, how painful our circumstances
had been, how cruel people can be in judging us, they cannot hurt us
inside if we do not allow them to. Our life’s struggles can teach us
lessons beyond measure, and how we deal with them is what defines us.
We are always given second chances if we seek them. Antonio sought a
second chance, and I guess even a third and a fourth. With the support
of his grandparents, he now has a stable job in a cruise ship and he
aspires to work on rebuilding the ruins of his young life, believing
that he has the capacity to succeed, even if people said he will never
amount to anything.
Watch out for Antonio — God’s handiwork, a work in progress. Fr. Erick Y. Santos, OFS
REFLECTION QUESTION: How do you spend each and every new chance God gives you?
Lord Jesus, mold me — Your work in progress.
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