Daily Reflections- February 29, 2012

PREACHING AND REPENTANCE

 

Jonah was an interesting character with an interesting story. A reluctant prophet when God asked him to prophesy, he foot-dragged, hemmed and hawed, protested and complained. But in the end, he obeyed and did what he was asked to do. Contrary to his expectations, the people over whom he had no control, repented.

Men simply want to be in control all the time. We get insecure and anxious if we can’t put a handle on things and events. We get rattled when we cannot predict the outcome. As a counselor, allow me to read into Jonah’s mind for a while. I should think that Jonah imagined the worst and initially refused to do God’s bidding because he could not really control the outcome of his preaching, or worse, he feared that the people would turn against him. Such a loss of control is not a very appealing prospect for men in general.

In the years I have been facilitating couple’s workshops and self-awareness modules for adults, it has always been the men who brush feelings aside when they begin to sense a loss of control. Oftentimes, sensing that they are about to be overwhelmed by their feelings, they get right back to thinking mode and declare themselves free from issues, anger or resentment, or that they have forgotten everything and forgiven everyone, and that they no longer have anything against the past or anyone from the past. Most who do so, go home with a sense of not having done what originally they have set out to do. They return home feeling incomplete and their time wasted.

But there is something that men do that can surprise even themselves. They can make a sudden turnaround for seemingly unexplainable reasons. Like Jonah did. He made an about-face. He preached metanoia but, without knowing it, he was the first to do what he asked people to do. He led by example. He literally turned around and did what God asked him to. And all it takes is a decision, never mind the feelings. What Jonah was asked to preach, he did. He repented!  Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: How well do you walk your talk?

 

May I always be true to my words, Lord. May my actions reveal that I am Your disciple.

Daily Reflections- February 28, 2012

THE END FOR WHICH HE WAS SENT

 

The writer Matthew Kelly makes a good point when he says that most young people nowadays are missing a whole lot for the simple reason that they don’t know what they want. They don’t have singleness of purpose. And if one does not have a sense of purpose, it doesn’t matter much what happens. Anything will do. “Que sera, sera,” as the old song goes. Whatever will be, will be!

Kelly argues further that people who have a sense of purpose and are focused on what they want go a step farther. They eventually develop the virtues, habits and skills needed to propel that dream. Bill Gates knew what he wanted, and he lost no time developing whatever it would take to make him reach his dream. Blessed Mother Teresa also had it. So did Blessed Pope John Paul II.

Little Johnny Bosco also nurtured what he euphemistically called a dream. At nine years old, he already nurtured a vision that accrued from a dream about wolves becoming sheep. Almost 175 years after, that dream has become, and still is, a reality in more than 130 countries all over the world.

But apart from Mother Teresa of Calcutta, John Paul II, John Bosco and many other saints, there was someone else who had a dream for humanity, for the world, for all men and women of good will — God!

Today, the First Reading gives us a glimpse of that divine dream. Using the images of rain and snow that does not come down and return up without first producing good results, God’s Word, Isaiah tells us, does not return to Him void but achieves the end for which God sent it.

Our faith in the power of the same Word leads us to do as God’s Son did. We pray and talk to the Father in the words our Lord Himself taught us. And how do we know this prayer is efficacious? We know it through the example of the Son. He had singleness of purpose: to do the Father’s will, the end for which He was sent. Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: Have you found your life’s purpose? If you haven’t, avail of the grace of the Lenten Season to listen to God and know the purpose for which He created you.

 

Grant me, Lord, a singleness of purpose that I may fulfill Your will for my life.

Daily Reflections- February 27, 2012

BE HOLY!

 

The beatification last year of Pope John Paul II was long awaited and expected by not a few of us who knew him even from afar and loved him almost up close and personal. Twenty-four of my 29 years as a priest were spent during his pontificate. He became Pope when I was only 22 years old, working as a parish pastoral assistant to an Italian priest in a then very young parish that the priest started in Calamba, Laguna.

I got to see and meet the Pope from a close vantage point: first, when I belonged to a team that covered his visit in 1980 with my reliable old double lens parallax camera; and second, as a 39-year-old priest (the last time I officially belonged to the world of the “youth”), leading a whole bunch of seminarians at the Luneta Park for the World Youth Day 1995 in Manila.

I write about him because today, we are given an important challenge from the First Reading: “Be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy.” It is hard for anyone who followed Pope John Paul II very closely not to associate him with holiness. The whole world sensed this. Everyone knew it, for Karol Wojtyla lived it right from the start. He was consistent and relentless in his pursuit of holiness. When he died, the whole world clamored for it. “Santo subito,” we demanded.

On closer look, this command from the Lord really sums up and gives meaning to what comes after. This is the real “word” that is the foundation of the 10 “words” or commandments (which is what Decalogue literally means).

Holiness is possible. This is what Blessed Pope John Paul II tells us. That was what he taught us when he beatified and canonized a record number of saintly men and women during his pontificate. He had a vision for himself and for the Church that he so loved and faithfully served. And despite the pain and the suffering associated with old age, he remained steadfast in that dream. Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: What is your vision for your Christian life?

 

Lord, fire me up with the desire to be holy as You are holy.

 

Daily Reflections - February 26, 2012

THE TIME OF FULFILLMENT

 

Mountain trekkers and climbers are familiar with the experience — that moment when one either retraces his steps back down, or decides to make that “final assault” to conquer the peak. But in order to face the “time of fulfillment,” one needs to make difficult decisions and hard choices. One has to travel light, to say the least. One has to leave behind all other accoutrements and pare oneself down to the bare essentials. And there is no tarrying, no bargaining, no ifs and buts. One simply has to choose and decide wholeheartedly.

In my much younger years, I remember a time we took the longer and more difficult route from Pulag, via the Kabayan trail. We had a guest climber from abroad who hoodwinked us into believing that he had training and experience. At a particularly precipitous and dangerous part of the climb down, he panicked. He froze. And he wouldn’t budge, shaking with fright. The fear was contagious and paralyzing. As team leader, I knew I had to act swiftly and decisively, as there was no turning back at that point.

I would like to think that after the massive floods that Noah experienced, there was also no turning back. They just had to move on with life and move up to a higher plane. They were being invited by the Lord Yahweh to a covenant. It was a moment of fulfillment, something akin to what anthropologists refer to as a liminal moment, a threshold experience that leads one to something bigger, better, nicer and nobler. God did His part of the bargain. He promised no more floods ever. But Noah and his companions were taken to task, with a huge reminder for everyone to see — a “bow in the clouds to serve as a sign.”

That sign gives way now to a bigger one — that of the Son of Man who came down from the clouds, bringing a multiplicity of other signs. It is now the “time of fulfillment,” He says. And our end of the bargain is: “Repent and believe in the Gospel.” Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: Where do you find fulfillment?

 

Lord God, my soul longs to find fulfillment in You.

Daily Reflections- February 24, 2012

CALL AND THE LORD WILL ANSWER!

 

As I write, I can’t help but think about my brand new cell phone, the first “smart phone” I ever had since cell phones became de rigueur  everywhere. Funny, but cell phones have become anything but “phones” — a word that literally has to do with sounds. Nowadays, we don’t “call” people anymore by phone. We text. We “miss call” them. We PM or SMS them. When we call people, hardly anyone readily answers. One first looks at who is calling and “ignores,” “rejects,” or takes the call.

The call-response continuum has been restructured. All this has belied the passage that has become my title for this reflection.

But this is precisely good news for us to consider today. Despite all the gizmos and gadgets designed to foster communication, there is really less and less personal interaction between individuals, when one can “delete” “friends” at will any time for the flimsiest of reasons. We need to re-appropriate this piece of good news.

It is good news for us, now that we are inundated by noise that masquerades as news. All sorts of dastardly acts that reflect man’s inhumanity to man, do leave us battered, if not tattered, as far as the “hope that is in us” is concerned. Add to that all the shallow showbiz intrigues, the inanities espoused by primetime shows, and the natural tragedies that take place everywhere in the world — and hope flies out the window.

But the communication that the postmodern world now understands is, for the most part, unidirectional. It is sad to note that most postings in Facebook and other social networking accounts go unanswered, maybe unnoticed, but people simply go on broadcasting in cyberspace. But the prayer that the readings speak of today is anything but unidirectional. “You shall call, and the Lord will answer!” Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: This Lent, what questions about your life do you want to ask the Lord? Call on Him now.

 

Lord Jesus, help me to always remember that You do answer my every question in the way that’s best for me, in Your own time.

 

Daily Reflections- February 25, 2012

PLENTY EVEN ON THE PARCHED LAND

 

I was a young priest when the economy took a turn for the worse in the months and years following the assassination of Ninoy Aquino. I remember very well the many ways by which the Filipino people coped with much less, how we managed to stretch what little we had. Interesting new “recipes” that we now enjoy and take for granted were actually attempts at extending the lesser meat supply that people could afford — tokwa’t baboy, lugaw (which actually became a craze and a fad), along with many types of street food that now are part and parcel of our daily experience.

In many ways, less became more. The little that people had propelled them to work for more and actually achieve more with far less. But that more depended on a list of conditions.

People had to be creative. They had to learn to improvise. With government coffers empty, imported goods were out of the question for many people. We learned to make do with local ingredients, local parts, and whatever we could craft on our own.

The whole country looked like a picture of political, economic and cultural desolation. The land was more than just parched, literally and figuratively, most especially when El Niño ravaged the country in 1985. But out of this parched land came plenty! The four fateful and faith-filled days of February were the summation of everything good that happened despite, and maybe because of, the utter lack of so many things.

The First Reading today is a reminder of what sort of “plenty” awaits those who are willing to live with many “ifs” in real life: if we remove oppression; if we bestow bread on the hungry; if we observe the Sabbath; if we honor it instead of seeking our own interests, and so on.

There was precious little back then but so much treasure to speak of. At EDSA in those four days, there were miracles galore. Food and everything else flowed in abundance, proving what Isaiah spoke of — plenty even on the parched land! Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: What blessings do you see in your present need?

 

Lord, help me to see Your love and providence even when times are hard.

Daily Reflections- February 23, 2012

THIS WILL MEAN LIFE FOR YOU

 

We all know how it feels — joyless days, dejection, disappointment, anger, resentment. We all know, too, where they lead us to — withdrawal from society, burying our heads in the sand of hate, hiding from friends, putting on a long face, and avoiding all forms of social interaction.

Henry David Thoreau wrote about going to his hideaway in the woods called Walden Pond. He wanted “to put to rout all that was not life!”

Yesterday, we entered seriously into our own, grander version of Walden Pond. We sort of retreated from the world. We paused awhile and considered how we may put to rout not only that which is not life but also that which causes downright death — the death of our soul.

How do we experience this kind of death? First in my list is the lack or absence of love. Two things are absolutely needed, Sigmund Freud says, for mental health: love and work. We need to experience loving others and being loved in return. Even neonatal and longitudinal studies have confirmed this over the past many decades. Newborn babies who were cuddled, exposed to a warm breast and placed near a beating human heart within 48 hours after being born, stood better chances of growing up psychologically whole and emotionally well-adjusted.

Second in my list is living like one is the ultimate arbiter of right and wrong — behaving as if whatever choices I make in my unbridled freedom can never be anything but right. This means nobody outside of me has the right to tell me what to do.

The third in my list is going it alone, doing a Lone Ranger, and cutting myself off from others, including God.

Let us hear it from today’s First Reading. We are given a choice between life and prosperity, death and doom. The Holy Book gives us the antidote to spiritual death. In place of the three listed above, we are told to love the Lord, heed His voice, and hold fast to Him. “That,” the passage says, “will mean life for you.” Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: When tragedy strikes, do you embrace it as an opportunity to choose life? Or do you choose doom?

 

I choose You, Lord, over all things and persons. I open myself to Your work in my life.

Daily Reflections- February 21, 2012

READING BETWEEN THE LINES

 

The story in today’s Gospel reflects a gap of communication between Jesus and the disciples. While Jesus was sharing with the disciples His prediction about His impending passion and death in Jerusalem for the second time, the disciples did not quite know what to make out of His words. But no one dared to ask Jesus about this. As a greater consequence, the disciples failed to relate with Jesus’ solemn words. They were discussing among themselves the issue of worldly greatness and ambitions at a time when Our Lord had His heart and mind set on suffering and death.

While we live in a time of more sophisticated and efficient communication, our Gospel underscores the fact that communication involves more than words and exchange of ideas. Communication is an interpersonal experience. Beyond and behind each word are emotions and feelings. To communicate is to read between the lines and feel what the other is trying to let you feel with his words. Besides understanding, authentic communication brings about empathy.

Empathy makes us feel what the other person is revealing deeply about himself and his experience. As we listen, we bracket ourselves and enter into the world of the other. From this empathy flows genuine compassion, and oneness of heart and soul.

In line with the call for Christians to be communicators of Good News through true understanding and compassion, Pope Benedict XVI teaches during the 2011 World Day of Communication that Christians have practical challenges in today’s digital age when the Internet has become a venue for new friendships. He sustained that Christians should be engaged in Internet and social networks not simply because of the desire to be present, but because these have become integral realities of life. Christians in the digital age should not succumb to the trend of making illusory avatars. But they should maintain real and authentic digital profiles that would enable truthful human exchanges of goodness of thoughts and sentiments. Fr. Domie Guzman, SSP

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: What are your own standards in communicating with others? Do you communicate to impress or to express? Have you been “Christian” in your motives and attitudes in your participation in social networks through the Internet?

 

Lord Jesus, more than communicating myself to others, help me to communicate You to them.

 

Daily Reflections - February 18, 2012

WE ARE LIVING THE END TIMES

 

We read today the Gospel account on the Transfiguration of Jesus. This time, let us draw another perspective on this very important event in the earthly life of Jesus. Biblicists point out that Peter’s reference to putting up three tents was no mere passing remark. It has to do with the Jewish belief that when the last days come, God will once more dwell with His people as He did in the Exodus experience: “When Israel lived in tents, and God too dwelt with them in the Tent of Meeting” (cf Deuteronomy 26:11-12; Ezekiel 37:27-28). Likewise, the mention of Elijah conversing with Moses links up with Revelations 11:3-6 where the sacred writer refers to the last days as a time when two witnesses will be sent by God: Elijah, who has the power to close the sky so that no rain falls; and Moses who has the power to smite the Earth with plagues. Elijah comes accompanying Jesus as the definitive prophet whom Moses himself refers to in Deuteronomy 34:10.

The earthly mission of Jesus therefore is not just the fulfillment of the prophecies of the Old Testament. It is also the beginning of the End Times, for we expect no other revelation than what Jesus has taught. We expect no other messenger of God besides Jesus Himself. All that remains for us to do is to live out and apply what Jesus has given.

As Christians immersed in the Gospel truth and prayer, we need not be alarmed when we read about earthquakes, wars, tsunamis and massive destruction of lives due to cosmic upheavals. These do not make the End Times. We need not join the bandwagon of soothsayers and doomsday prophets. Our vision is clear: Jesus has come, and He alone is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. Our faith in Him is our peace, our reconciliation, our rock. It is significant to note that, after the spectacular experience at Mount Tabor, where Peter, James and John saw a glimpse of heavenly power, the Gospel ends the majestic vision with a simple declaration: “Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone but Jesus alone with them.”Fr. Domie Guzman, SSP

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: How do you usually react to news reports about catastrophes and socio-political upheavals around the world? Pray now by casting all your cares and anxieties about the future to Jesus.

 

Lord Jesus, Your presence is a strong indication that all will be well.

Daily Reflections- February 17, 2012

LIFE IS FAIR, after all!

 

A litany of complaints is how many would describe their situations and experiences in life. From many good acquaintances who have lost jobs, loved ones, and honest wealth, I have heard a common sigh: “Life is so unjust, so unfair.” To this is sometimes added the question: “Where is God?” I must say that these situations are challenging moments for a priestly answer.

The words of Jesus are not just words about authentic discipleship. They are utterances about the pursuit of the fullness of life. We are made to see that fullness of life comes not simply with achievements, but with sacrifice, self-renunciation and suffering. This seems to be the price that this broken world exacts of us. Doing good makes us encounter the imperfections of this world and undergo a real struggle in flesh and in spirit. Working for justice, for instance, compels us not only to face injustice, but it allows us to experience the real effects of injustice in ourselves. Working for excellence makes us first go through the pains brought about by mediocrity around us. Working for truth and righteousness makes us feel many times the cruelty of the forces of falsehood and corruption. Evil does not easily give up its foothold in this world!

If we do not give up, and if we do not give in to the forces of darkness and sin, this may cause our lives and limb. Falsehood and unrighteousness did not stop until it nailed Jesus on the cross. Pagan ways did not stop until it claimed the blood of many Christian martyrs. The forces of prejudice did not stop until they claimed the breath of Martin Luther. In the end, however, the sacrifices of the good and the righteous starved the evil, and cut evil’s vicious circle. In the end, it is the memory of the good who sacrificed themselves that is immortalized in the history of life. The forces of evil, once powerful and strong, are long forgotten.

Judge then for yourselves: Is life unfair? Or isn’t life fair, after all? Fr. Domie Guzman, SSP

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: Recall the life story of a hero or saint who has become personally significant for you. What particular acts of sacrifice and self-offering did this person have to commit?

 

Lord Jesus, help me to always do good, trusting that the good will always triumph over evil.

Daily Reflections- February 16, 2012

A MYSTERY MIX

 

Peter is an interesting character, not only because he was the one chosen by Jesus to be the head of His group after He is gone, but because he is very much like us. Today’s reading shows how Peter is a mixture in his actions. Earlier in the Gospel the Lord commended him for giving the true and proper answer to His question: “Who do you say that I am?” A few moments later,  Jesus rebuked him, referring to him as “Satan” (literal translation: obstacle).

Such is our life and experience in this world. Our days are a constant struggle between good and evil. As we move from event to event, from choice to choice, there are times when we progress and move on right ahead. But there are moments that we regress and we fall short of our past actions.

Jesus Himself gives us a good hint on how to face the realities of this “worldly mix” that we and creation are subject to. Jesus tells Peter, “For you are not on the side of God but of men.” Savoring these words of the Lord brings us to these realizations:

1. We need to constantly and continuously discern. There are no grey areas: either we move with God, or away from God. Every point needs to be examined.

2. We need to be cautious about what is humanly good. It’s true that we are made in God’s image and likeness, but not all our ways are God’s. Selfishness and distorted thoughts are behind some human motivations. Be cautious about the suggestions of our human intelligence and heart.

3. We must never presume. Many times, Jesus had taken Peter into some confidential mission and he must have enjoyed the unique privilege. However, he too failed, like here in Caesarea Philippi and during the Passion of Jesus in Jerusalem. He denied and abandoned the Lord. We should never be too self-confident, but instead nourish ourselves with prayer and humility, begging God’s Spirit to guide even the simplest acts that we do. Fr. Domie Guzman, SSP

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: What are your own experiences of inner conflicts and contradictions in life? How do you manage to go through these?

 

Lord Jesus, help me to be more aware of my motivations for all my actions and decisions.

 

Daily Reflections- February 15, 2012

CAN YOU IMAGINE BEING HEALED?

 

I wonder what it would be like to be healed from something such as blindness. I had a brain hemorrhage when I was 17. I spent eight to 10 days in a hospital but I remember only a couple of those days. I was quite blessed because, even if my hemorrhage gave me a 50-50 chance to survive, I did not have to go through the knife. Neither did I experience significant after-effects. I look back at this experience and am very grateful for my full recovery. How much more amazing this experience would have been if it involved being debilitated and then healed.

The healing miracles of Jesus are a sign of God’s desire to heal us, not just physically but spiritually as well. Jesus demonstrates authority over sickness so we would believe that He can heal us from within through the forgiveness of our sins. It is critical that we recognize the truth of God’s love for us if we want to fully benefit from it. Nothing can stand in the way of God’s desire to redeem us except our refusal of the offer of salvation. Our tendency is to invent obstacles: “I am too much of a sinner. How can God really love little old me? I don’t deserve to be forgiven.”

Some of these excuses, if not all of them, have some basis, but Jesus tells us in the Gospel that He is far bigger than any of the problems we can think of so we should not worry about them. All we have to do is open our hearts to the solution — His love — and allow Him to set about the work of salvation from within.

Jesus will not hesitate to enter our lives if we welcome Him in. Perhaps it would be good for us to be seriously sick so that we will better realize our need for His grace? No, that is not necessary! All that is necessary is that we be humble enough to invite Him in. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: How do you obstruct God from working in your life?

 

Lord Jesus, I welcome You into my life. Have Your way in me.

Daily Reflections- February 14, 2012

UNDERSTANDING LEADS TO BELIEVING

 

One of the key themes in all the Gospels is understanding the message of Jesus. It is very difficult to believe in something if one does not understand it. This is very true of the Gospel as it presents to us a new way of understanding and entering into a relationship with God, namely through His Son, Jesus. One of the difficulties the disciples had, and all who heard Jesus speak, was that He often spoke in parables and through His actions, and not necessarily in simple, straightforward language.

I wonder why Jesus chose to speak through miracles, signs and stories? Perhaps it was to present a very human face of God in the Gospel. The concept of God automatically instills a sense of awe in us, such that there is a need to bring things “down to earth.” We need to realize that the Incarnation is God speaking to us of His desire to be a part of our lives and not a distant being that we sometimes call on for help. Most images we have of God tend to set Him apart from us, out there somewhere. At best, the distance between God and us changes once in a while for a short period of time. This is not the God that Jesus presents to us. He is a God intimately involved in the daily issues of our lives — well, at least He is if we open our lives to Him!

Therein lies the issue at hand. Do we not see that God wants to be a part of our lives? And if we do understand this, why are we not letting Him into our hearts and lives? All the miracles of Jesus speak to us of basic aspects of human living — eating, healing and so on. This is a sign to us that God wants to engage us in all areas of our lives. The question that remains is whether or not we will allow Him to do this. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: Have you offered your life to God today? Have you chosen to invite Him to be a part of all that you will do today?

 

Jesus, help me to open my heart and mind to Your grace and Spirit so that I will hear Your call to follow, and be faithful and obedient to it.

Daily Reflections- February 13, 2012

SIGNS IN OUR LIVES

 

What signs should we look for in our lives? The answer depends on the context of the question. If the question asks whether or not a person is Christian, then the signs to look for are the fruits of the Spirit and the virtues. However, this is not the context in today’s Gospel passage. The signs we are talking about here are the signs that indicate the path we are to walk in life. Many people wait all their lives for an unequivocally sure sign that the path they are about to embark on is indeed the right one. However this sort of sign rarely, if ever, exists. In other words, they accomplish nothing or, at best, very little in their lives. This is a great shame as we have so much to give our local and Church communities.

The most important signpost we have is our faith in Christ. Not even Jesus was absolutely certain, in His humanity, of the path He was to walk in the work of salvation. Faith in God will not necessarily tell us the right path to take, but it will give us the strength and courage to take risks to test it. There is the answer to our question about signs!

We will never know if we are living God’s will for our lives unless we try it out. The satisfaction from a life well lived will come if and only if we are willing to test our judgment of the will of God as we understand it. Certainly we will make mistakes in doing this. A person’s sanctity has nothing to do with the number of mistakes he commits. Rather, it has everything to do with whether or not they are willing to make decisions that may or may not turn out to be the correct decisions.

What am I saying? Simply that a saint is a person who is willing to take the risk of following what he or she believes to be God’s will, embracing it fully if it proves to be correct, and humbly admitting a mistake if it proves to be otherwise.

There is no shame in making an honest mistake, particularly when it has to do with discerning God’s will. The only shame is never living fully all the potentials that God has blessed us with. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: Do you tend to wait for certainty in a decision before you act? Are you afraid to make mistakes?

 

Holy Spirit, help me to commit myself to discern well my choices in life. Give me the grace to act on the result of my discernment with courage and humility.

Daily Reflections - February 12, 2012

IN ALL THINGS

 

One of the most difficult tendencies that Christians have to overcome in living a truly moral and Christian life in the modern world is the tendency to compartmentalize our lives. Whether consciously or subconsciously, we divide our lives into compartments: spiritual life, work life, family life, and so on. The problem with this is that we become five or six different people as these “lives” have little in common. We become divided and split between various personalities.

Paul tells us that for a Christian, this is impossible. He tells us that it does not matter what element of our lives we are living at a particular moment, but that we should imitate Christ in all that we do. Our Christian faith must penetrate and affect our entire lives and our whole beings. Without this, we will not be living a truly Christian life. We cannot separate any aspect of our life from our Christian faith. Discipleship is learning how to integrate our faith into every aspect of our lives.

This tendency to compartmentalize our lives also contributes to the amount and severity of psychological illnesses of people in the world today. The prevalence of so many personality disorders, both the number of people who suffer from them and the severity of their suffering, indicates that there is a fundamental problem with people’s self-perception and capacity to discern and act on the things that are truly important in life. If only we can reintegrate ourselves as persons, accept who we are, and not be worried about how others perceive us, we would live healthier and fuller lives.

It is time for us to listen to the Gospel with greater clarity and commitment and to realize that, no matter who we are, God has created us and loves us. This is what matters ultimately. Of course we need the love of our family and friends, but we will discover we have far more of this love when we are true to who we are in God’s eyes and when we live a more integrated and simpler life. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: Do you tend to please others rather than allow your true personality to shine? Are you a slave to what others think or might be thinking of you?

 

Lord Jesus, I resolve today to be more faithful to the unique life You have given me. Help me to be true to myself and to love You and others in all that I do.

 

Daily Reflections - February 11, 2012

THE FEEDING OF THE FOUR THOUSAND

 

Jesus has pity on the people because they are hungry, so He miraculously feeds them. There are many stages to this event. There is the Eucharistic overtones whereby Jesus takes the bread, blesses it, breaks it, and then gives it to the people. This is precisely what happens at the Eucharist where we eventually feed not on the bread that was offered but the Body and Blood of Christ. The food we receive is not just physical food but the spiritual food that nourishes us for eternal life.

As we reflect on this story, it is important to keep this background in mind as we try to understand its meaning today. I doubt if we are going to see too many loaves of bread and fish multiplied to fill our hunger. However, the Church does encourage us to seek nourishment in the Eucharist every day if possible. This tells us that the spiritual reality we share in the Eucharist is one that captures the essence and heart of our faith. It is not enough to consider the Eucharist a mere ritual as it is more than that. The Eucharist is the source and summit of our Christian lives and faith. The saints often remind us that there is little more important than celebrating the Eucharist with faith and humility.

There is also the idea that God does provide for His people. There will be times when this is literally true in a physical sense. I have personally seen food multiplied a number of times. We need to learn to trust that God provides for us. The fact that so many do not have food to eat is not because there is not enough food to go around. Rather, it is a result of the unwillingness of people to share their excess with others. The provision is there; it is sin that creates the situation where many go hungry. And so we need to see God’s provision in both a physical and spiritual sense. If we do not receive the physical food that we need, we can still trust that spiritually God is there at all times and there is nothing others can do to deprive us of that food for eternal life.  Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL    

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: Do you eat well every day? Are there people around you who do not? Is there anything you can do to help at least a few of them?

 

Jesus, move me to share my blessings so that others may partake of the providence of God through my generosity.

Daily Reflections - February 10, 2012

THE MESSIAH HAS ARRIVED

 

The Jews were waiting for the Messiah. There were many expectations, including miracles that He would work. There were also political and social expectations, some of which Jesus fulfilled, others He did not. For example, He did not deliver the Jews from their political captivity. The miracle we read about in today’s Gospel is part of a whole series of acts and miracles that are associated with the coming of the Messiah in the Prophet Isaiah.

The miracles that Jesus performed indicate that He is not just the Messiah but that, as the Messiah, He has authority over sickness, demonic activities and even the forces of nature. If we take these signs to their logical conclusion, we will see that the miracles point to the divinity of Jesus. Many people had performed miracles before Jesus, but none with the same absolute and universal authority. No one before had claimed the power to forgive sins either. When we connect all these aspects of Jesus’ ministry together, we begin to form a fairly comprehensive picture as to the way Jesus portrays Himself as the Incarnate Word of God.

The miracles also serve as signs that draw people to Jesus. It is easy to see how this would happen when we consider the spectacular nature of miracles and how people talk about it. It is critical that we do not downplay them or take them for granted. God still wants to work miracles today to draw more people to Himself in a world that seeks to open to the spiritual realm.

People today cry out for spiritual nourishment but do not seem to know where to look for it. Miracles would be a very good indication that the Christian faith is a good place to look for nourishment in the spiritual life. Let us pray that God will work miracles through us for the sake of the world and not for our own glory. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: Do you expect miracles to happen in your life?

 

Lord Jesus, help me to expect miracles in my life simply because You want to use my life to draw others to Christ. Help me to bear witness to the miracle of the forgiveness of my sins to everyone I meet.

Daily Reflections - February 09, 2012

LOOKING AFTER ONE’S OWN

There is a simple principle that tells us that if we cannot look after those who are closest to us, why would we be concerned about people who are far from us? Yes, we do need to have a concern for all people, but let us be practical about things and concentrate first on the people who are close to us — the things we can do something about rather than those that are far from us and much more difficult to do anything about.

Jesus eventually responds to the request for healing from a foreigner because of her insistence and her faith. It seems somewhat extraordinary that a non-Jew has more faith than the Jews. She uses an interesting analogy in her argument but it gets Jesus’ attention because it is very convincing. We should think about it once in a while because the same could be true of our situations.

How deep is our own faith? How well do we respond to the graces God has given us to work with in our lives? Faith is not just about adherence to creeds and so on. It is all about how we live our lives — how faith affects the choices we make, and thus, provide a living witness of faith to the world. Preaching the Gospel is important, but living it is more important. This is where the focus of our lives must be — ensuring we give an evangelistic, true and uncompromised witness to the gift of salvation that God gave us. The Church, or the community of faith, exists for this purpose. We come together to support one another, but this support always goes beyond our individual selves to a shared witness to the Gospel.

Jesus recognized something of this level of faith in the Syrophoenician woman’s faith and responded accordingly. How stronger the witness of our faith would be if we had faith as deep as hers? This is something not only worth reflecting on, but acting on as well. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: Are you willing to surrender you life to the will of the Lord? What holds you back from giving a deeper and more powerful witness of faith?

Jesus, You offer me the gift of faith every day. Help me to open my heart to a deeper trust and belief in You, in what You have done, and in what You will do in and through me.

Daily Reflections - February 07, 2012

THE TRUE MEANING OF DIVINE WORSHIP

 

Continuing yesterday’s readings, we have this time a somewhat dichotomized situation between today’s First Reading and Gospel. While both have a thematic connection regarding the spirit of genuine worship of God, there is however a sharp contrast which we cannot help but notice.

Thanks to the evangelist Mark’s explanatory notes (since he originally wrote for the Romans, who were not familiar with Jewish practices, customs and traditions), we are able to enter into the context of the Gospel passage with ease. We readily feel the impact of — in fact, we should also easily identify with — Jesus’ denunciations of the Pharisees’ hypocritical attitudes.

Our Lord simply meant to bring back what was unfortunately lost, due to an overemphasis on human traditions and practices. Against the Pharisees’ prescriptions and prejudices against others, Jesus restored the true meaning of divine worship and adoration, with the spirit always prevailing over any legalistic custom or tradition.

Precisely, this genuine worship and adoration is what we have in King Solomon’s beautiful prayer on the formal dedication of the newly-built Temple of Jerusalem. The spirit behind it is sincerity and truth — a far cry from the duplicity of the Pharisees.

No, we need not junk altogether our religious practices. Should we follow liturgical rubrics, join processions, or pray the Holy Rosary, let’s be aware of the meaning and purpose behind our doing them. And of course, let us be authentic in carrying them out — lest we “nullify God’s Word.”

As King Solomon prayed over the Temple, “May your eyes watch night and day over... this place where you have decreed you shall be honored....” Let ours, too, be a prayer that our practices and rituals be honorable and pleasing to God.  Fr. Martin Macasaet, SDB

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: What religious practices do you normally do? Have you thought of the purpose and meaning behind those norms?

 

Holy Spirit, move my heart and mind to be united to the angels and saints in heaven in giving glory and worship to our loving God.

 

Daily Reflections - February 06, 2012

GOD’S ABIDING PRESENCE

 

In today’s Gospel, Mark gives us an idea of the celebrity status of Jesus. “People immediately recognized him.” And more than just that, the crowds acknowledged His extraordinary healing power: “Wherever he put in an appearance, in villages, in towns, or at crossroads, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him to let them touch just the tassel of his cloak. All who touched him got well.” Such an astonishing outpouring of zeal for Jesus (on the part of the people) isn’t really surprising, especially when you consider their acute need for healing.

The First Reading, on the other hand, has a similar outpouring of enthusiasm from the Israelites, this time for the Ark of the Covenant during the solemn dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem. While there was the appearance of a cloud manifesting God’s glorious presence, the dedication of the Temple represents man’s attempt to bring such a divine presence into a definite, tangible locus.

A concrete dwelling, after all, is essential — even perhaps for God. There, God’s presence abides forever. Paradoxically, such presence of God can never be confined in a box. Why, in Jesus’ case, the mere tassel of His cloak could already bring about His healing power! His appearances (in other words, His presence) in various villages, towns or at crossroads turned out to be not just crowd-drawers or traffic-stoppers. They were veritable encounters with God’s efficacious and loving presence. Fr. Martin Macasaet, SDB

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: Do you feel the presence of God within you?

 

Jesus, may Your abiding presence in my life help see me through both good and bad times.