We remember St. Cajetan today. Among his ministries was to establish a hospital which not only took care of the body’s sickness but also of the soul. St. Cajetan knew that the care of the body could only go so far. His love for the poor and the oppressed was laudable. Yet he did not stop there. He knew that the soul needed more attention. Thus, he spent his life incorporating spirituality in his apostolates.
Today’s Gospel expounds on the ultimate meaning of life. Jesus gives the radical truth that we gain nothing even if we possess the whole world but lose our soul. Life only has meaning if lived in accordance to God’s will.
Jesus warns us that following Him will not be a walk in the park. The world will hate us in the same way that it hated Him. Hedonism, consumerism, practicality, unbridled freedom, and the like seem to be the world’s preference. Religious values are seen as curtailment of human freedom. Suffering is anathema and should be avoided at all cost. Jesus brings us back to the truth: suffering is not always bad. Jesus, in His life and ministry, proved it.
Suffering incorporated with love is salvific. Loving is not all comfort and ease. No matter how we plan and aspire to ease life, challenges and sufferings come. They are constitutive aspects of life and part of being truly alive. Love, too, is never without suffering. The lover is willing, and, in fact, experiences suffering. We keep in our hearts and minds the good of our beloved. We do everything for the good of the one we love, which is his or her salvation. Thus, we see to it that what we do to them leads us both to salvation.
All of these boils down to the truth of the resurrection, the Kingdom, and eternal life. This lies at the core of our Christian faith. We are Easter Christians. We belong to this faith and live its truths unto death, and in death, believing in the resurrection. The fullness of life does not belong and happen here but in the next life. It does not take for granted life on earth but regards it as a necessary step toward fullness of life with God the Father in heaven. Fr. Benny Tuazon
---------- REFLECTION QUESTIONS ----------
Is there some suffering in your life right now? What meaning can you attribute to it?
I trust that You will reveal to me the meaning of my suffering, Lord—in Your perfect time. Amen.
Today, I pray for: ____________________________
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