Daily Reflections - November 29,2012

FROM HERE TO ETERNITY

 

Lola Apol is a 110-year-old woman from a simple parish south of Metro Manila. I met her when I was a young priest 18 years ago. Back then, at 92 years, she would always tell me that she already wanted to go back to her true home with God. At times, she would feel frustrated and sad because she thought God had already forgotten her. Here is a woman who longed for God. How many of us can say the same? Note that she is not really sick with anything, save for what goes with age. She, like many of us, could really wish to have a long life. But for her, eternal life is best.

The Christians will stand erect and raise their heads when all the signs given by Jesus of the end time come. Others will die of fright. For the Christian, it is redemption. For others, it is either death or judgment. The very basis of Christian faith is the resurrection. Paul said that if Jesus did not resurrect, then all of what we are doing — praying, doing good works, or sacrifice — will amount to nothing. We live and die for the resurrection.

Life on earth is part of our full life. That is why the Lord Jesus became one like us. He taught, during His ministry, how to live life and lead it to eternal life. Even death could not stop us from attaining the reward of the Kingdom. Jesus put an end to it by rising to life again.

Death still evokes fear. But to believe that death is not the end gives hope. This is what the Lord Jesus preached and stressed. It is what should help us to forgive, love our enemy, make sacrifices, embrace poverty or leave one’s family. No wonder God gave it as the first of all commandments! Loving God above all things, indeed all creation, saves us. Fr. Benny Tuazon

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: Are you becoming impatient in waiting for eternity with Jesus?

 

Father, You created me for eternal life with You in heaven. Please give me the grace to wait in joyful hope for that glorious time to come.

 

Daily Reflections - November 28,2012

WITH THE LORD, FEAR TURNS TO PEACE

 

As a new priest sitting inside the reconciliation room, listening and pasturing a penitent can be intimidating yet satisfying. Seeing them leave, healed and pardoned brings happiness and relief. But each penitent is different. It is hard to know their situation beforehand. What to say and how to say the appropriate things involve great difficulty. The idea that a soul is at stake makes me shiver. But knowing that it is not me who forgives makes me confident. I know that God is there and He leads and guides me to let the penitent experience His loving forgiveness. Always, I feel God’s wisdom flowing through me to the penitent. And many times, I am surprised at the things I have said and done that fulfill the penitent.

Jesus tells the Christian not to prepare or worry about what to say. He asks for our complete and absolute dependence on Him. He will give us the wisdom that nobody could resist or refute. Through all those challenges and trials, God will always be present.

Being a Christian is about recognizing and serving our Master. Our baptism and ordination do not free us from Him, but rather enslave us to Him. God is enough. Asked which is the first commandment, Jesus responded by saying that we must love God with all our strength, all our heart, all our mind, and all our soul. There should be nothing in us that does not worship God. As the song goes, “All that I am, all that I do, all that I ever have, I offer them to you!”

Faced with suffering and death, we can be at peace if we know that God is with us and will never leave us. He is Emmanuel, remember? This we must be able to appreciate and live. The daily awareness and experience of the Lord will help us very much to know Him more, love him more, and serve Him more. And when we do, it would be easy to say what He wants us to say and do what He wants us to do. Fr. Benny Tuazon

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: Do you believe that God is in the midst of your fears?

 

Father, there are many people and things that I am afraid of. Let Your light shine through the darkness of my fears and give me courage to face them.

Daily Reflections - November 27,2012

WHAT COUNTS IS WHAT COUNTS!

 

Jesus’ teaching here began with His description of the temple being “adorned with costly stones and votive offerings.” The best had been rendered for their place of communing with God. But no matter how costly they were, they will still be thrown down. They will pass away. They will have their end.

The temple was very important for the Jews. It symbolizes their identity. It is their center. It is God’s presence to them. The Lord Jesus recognized it and knew it well. He was a Jew. He was a very good Jew. He did what every Jewish male did. Yet, He also knew that the temple is not everything. The costly things do not make the temple precious but God’s presence.

In response to the question as to when all of these will happen, Jesus gave signs but warned them not to be deceived as to when and how. Many will claim they know but they are not to be believed. Because it is not  about when or how, but what! A Christian must be focused on the kingdom. A Christian is inspired to reach the finish line. A Christian is equipped with hope through all the challenges and sufferings earthly life gives. A Christian anticipates and is committed to be with his God.

My grandmother died at the age of 96. She was a very religious woman. She had a lot of devotions. When she got sick, she could no longer do her religious practices. But I never saw her sad or frustrated. She accepted her sickness, including the fact that she could no longer fulfill her devotions. She told me she was at peace and was ready to meet God whom she ached for all her life. More than the prayers and devotions, the moment of being in the presence of God mattered most.

Facing the end, whether it is death or judgment, is not a walk in the park. Jesus was very forthright with everything that we will go through and our destiny. And He was also reassuring, uplifting and genuine. With Him with us, who cares for the when and the how? Fr. Benny Tuazon

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: Do you look forward to the day when you will see Jesus face to face?

 

Jesus, I long to see and be with You in heaven. Give me the grace to remain faithful to the end.

 

Daily Reflections - November 26,2012

Being Whole By Giving All

 

When I was gathering some prizes for our alumni homecoming, I thought of soliciting from our priests in the seminary for items that they can spare. An old priest told me he really wanted to give but did not know what to give. I thought that he was so blessed with a lot that it was hard for him to choose from an array of gifts. So he invited me to his room. When I entered, I saw how bare his room was. He opened his closet and showed me just two pairs of pants and polo shirts. He asked me to choose from those pairs. I did not know how to react. I just told him how sorry I was to have asked him.

It would have been easy for him to tell me he didn’t have anything to give. Yet, in his poverty, he was still willing to share. That old priest may not have given anything, but he gave more in terms of inspiration and witnessing. When I told that story during our alumni event, almost everyone was in awe and nearly in tears.

The Gospel today may turn off some people. Jesus praised the poor widow because she gave from her poverty, her whole livelihood. Quantitatively, that is not much. In fact, it is almost negligible. It may hardly matter as far as the temple is concerned. But Jesus saw deeper.

On the other hand, Jesus saw the offerings of some wealthy people as less. Jesus distinguishes between giving from surplus and from one’s livelihood. He does not only give importance to willingness and sincerity to give but total giving. For all we know, the wealthy people also gave willingly and sincerely. But Jesus pointed out that they gave out of their surplus. Therefore, offerings must not only include what one has but also oneself. Offerings are always personal.

Jesus gave Himself fully as an example. As followers, we are expected to do the same. Only in that way can we be whole. Fr. Benny Tuazon

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: When you give, do you give until it hurts?

 

Lord Jesus, teach me to give not just with joy but with my all.

Daily Reflections - November 25,2012

Stating the Obvious

 

A couple had been married for more than 20 years. The man had been a responsible husband and father. He had been faithful and never been remiss of his children’s needs. One day, the woman asked the man, “Do you really love me?” How do you think the man reacted, or how do you think he should react?

How about an employee who had been at work almost every working day, pouring in more than the required hours, doing his job almost perfectly, does not receive a complaint from his coworkers, and does not complain? When he was considered for promotion, the manager asked him if he was serious with his work. How do you think the employee felt?

And what about somebody who preached words that touch everyone’s heart and responded to their yearnings? That same person gave sight to the blind, made the lame walk, gave speech to the mute, and hearing to the deaf. He even cleansed many from leprosy, an incurable disease during His time. To top it all, He brought back the dead to life! And it did not stop there. When He died, He resurrected! He showed great powers and spoke with authority. He is considered to have affected and influenced more people than anyone who had ever walked on earth.

For a year, starting at the Advent Season, the life and ministry of Jesus is read, heard and reflected on in the celebration of the Eucharist. He is not your regular idol, hero or savior. But He certainly deserves respect, honor and following. Our faith, based on all of what He has done, crowns Him as King — King of Kings, King of the Universe!

But His kingship is not only for this world. His Kingdom extends beyond this world. He is the King of forgiveness. His mission was to gather everyone in His Kingdom — a different King but the best King we could ever have. Fr. Benny Tuazon

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: Who or what reigns as “king” in your life?

 

Lord, may I learn and practice in my life the true marks of a leader and king as You have shown us.

Daily Reflections - November 23,2012

HOUSE OF PRAYERFULNESS

 

Jesus decried what the Jews had made of the only Sacred Temple that they had. This Temple was not just a depository of the Ark of the Covenant, the Tablets of the Decalogue, and the rod of Moses. This Temple was the place where the high priest presided over solemn sacrifices for the important religious holy days, such as Passover. This Temple was likewise the place where every morning and evening, continuous thanksgiving and sin offerings were made on behalf of all Israel. Over all, this Temple embodied the “Shekinah” or dwelling of God among His people.

The solemnity of the Temple, however, did not deter the enterprising Jews, among them relatives and friends of the priestly class, to engage in commerce within the confines of the shrine. The Gospel story reveals that in the Temple precints, the Jewish religious leaders began plotting their scheme against Jesus. While the former practices of the Jews affected the religious and worship spirit proper to the Temple, the latter action of Jewish leaders were against the demands of the Commandment to love others, especially fellow Jews.

More than a House of Prayer, Jesus’ real point was seeing the Temple become a true House of Prayerfulness. Prayerfulness is more than prayer. Prayerfulness means more than rituals and external acts of veneration and worship. Prayerfulness is a contemplative disposition that makes a person see the Divine Presence in all circumstances and in all persons. It naturally flows into a virtuous life of love, respect, justice and compassion to all living creatures. At no time and under no circumstances should there be room for violence but only compassion. Fr. Domie Guzman, SSP

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: Has your prayer life led you to be kinder or gentler in thoughts, words and actions? What other fruits have you experienced from keeping a life of prayer?

 

Father, help me to live a life of prayerfulness that the fruits of the Spirit may be seen in my life.

Daily Reflections - November 22,2012

JESUS WEPT OVER THE CITY

 

City life attracts many of us. Though of Ilocano parents, my siblings and I grew up in Paco, Manila. We lived in an old neighborhood where families residing along the same street knew each other well. We had memorable and meaningful exchanges. The Parish Church of San Fernando de Dilao with its two belfries, Paco Catholic School and the now renovated Paco Market, are all walking distance away from our apartment. I also liked downtown Quiapo and Santa Cruz districts where my maternal grandmother would bring us whenever she received her monthly pension. I loved seeing the varied sights along Escolta, Echague, Carriedo, Raon, Avenida Rizal and other pedestrian streets around the commercial districts.

But as a young boy, there were also certain things that I found repugnant about the city that I knew. I hated the traffic and the thick pedestrian crowd especially during the Christmas season. I hated the vendors who practically invaded the streets and made walking around an ordeal. I frowned over the smell and ugliness of piles of garbage everyone left behind. Jerusalem could have been a similar experience to Jesus and to Jews who ascend it from their laid-back hamlets and small towns. This religious, political and economic hub of Israel could have been an enriching experience and a city of many memories for growing up Jewish boys!

Revisiting the city as a grown-up Jew, Jesus cried over Jerusalem. He cried over the decay, the proliferation of poverty and misery even as the privileged ones prospered, the profanity of words and ways of the crowds, the indifference of the political and religious leaders and the creeping secularity and materialism around the Temple.

The laid-back life of simple fishermen and farmers in Galilee may not have afforded them rich food and drinks brought in by Romans and other moneyed Gentiles who have come to do business in Jerusalem. However, there could have been more peace and quiet and spiritual groundedness among the rural folks. Fr. Domie Guzman, SSP

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: What do you prefer — to live in the city or in the province? What very important considerations do you have in deciding the best place for your home?

 

Lord, help me to remember that anywhere You lead me is home.

Daily Reflections - November 20,2012

LOVE HEALS

 

Fr. Pascual Adorable, a Jesuit, was among the pioneers of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal Movement in the Philippines. He founded the Buklod ng Pag-ibig, a renewal community that has faithfully nurtured the charism of healing with various undertakings emanating from its home in Balete Drive Extension in Quezon City. His ministry also gave rise to the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Covenant Community, a couple-oriented renewal group that has since branched out even to other countries. Throughout his ministry, Fr. Ado stressed two things about healing: first, true healing flows from Jesus in the Eucharist where He Himself promised to be present until the end of time; second, true healing comes not just from God’s power but His love. He would always declare with a shout during his healing Masses: “It is love that heals!”

Jesus’ encounter with Zacchaeus in Jericho was not simply a conversion story but a healing story. The tax collector may not have been sick physically but his heart ached as people distanced themselves from him whom they considered to be a publican. His heart ached as people showed him their hateful feelings when they blocked his view of Jesus. His spirit could have been aching, too, so he was looking for Jesus. Jesus, he heard, had the gift of making persons see new meaningfulness in their broken lives.

Jesus healed Zacchaeus with love. Zacchaeus felt love as Jesus singled him out from the crowd. He felt love as Jesus told him He was going to dine with him. And the love made Zacchaeus promise that he would repair his cheating by repaying the people fourfold.

Why not try the love therapy? Care for old people at home, touch them with love and talk to them. Visit the sick, lend them your listening ears and show concern. Pray with and minister to them with words of faith and hope coming from the Bible. Believe in your heart, show with your acts, and proclaim with your sharing, “It is love that heals!” Fr. Domie Guzman, SSP

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: Spend some time recalling how persons healed you with their love. Thank God for these persons. Pay it forward: for whom are you now concretely challenged to be a daily sharer of God’s healing love?

 

Father, touch me with Your healing love and help me help those in need of healing, too.

 

Daily Reflections - November 19,2012

FAITH SHOUTS!

 

The Americans removed the icon of the tablets of the Ten Commandments in their Supreme Court, and they say that is part of being politically correct. They dispensed with prayers in the classrooms to show respect for other people’s religion. In the heat of the Philippine debate on the Reproductive Health Bill, a congresswoman from Iloilo who sponsored the bill openly declared that she was not a Catholic and then said that Catholics should just allow the passage of the bill which is agreeable to others. Elsewhere, we allow Muslims and clerics of other sects to join in invocations.We say this is part of what Vatican Council II preached as “Ecumenism.”

I hate all these! Respect is good, but I believe that the practice of such virtue must be “mutual” as regards the person’s religion and faith. For me to respect your expression of faith, you must also respect my expression of my own faith. Without mutual respect, any effort to mute a person’s own faith is injustice, coercion and harassment. Moderation in faith is suicide and a betrayal of one’s heart and mind.

We, Catholics, are too tame, gentle and soft spoken in the name of “I do not know what.” We allow civil society, tricky politicians and the secular media to bully us out of legitimate discussions. We should learn from the example of the blind man in our Gospel today. He was blessed because he did not obey the cruel crowd who wanted him to simply shut up. On the contrary, he shouted out his faith even louder, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

The Christian faith is to be lived, shared, proclaimed and defended even at the cost of the shedding of blood. Some  have been dedicated to a clear formulation of our Credo that needs to be affirmed and re-affirmed by all in prayer. Also, the Church has always held in the highest level of liturgical memory the Apostles who taught and built up the Christian faith, and the martyrs who willingly and boldly witnessed to the Gospel values even in the face of adversities. Fr. Domie Guzman, SSP

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: Have you done your part of shouting out the Christian faith in situations when your public expression of faith is crucial? When and how did you do this? What about our Christian faith and doctrine are you most emphatic of? Why?

 

Lord, give me the courage and wisdom to proclaim my faith in You.

 

Daily Reflections - November 18,2012

THE HEAVENLY FATHER’S SECRET

 

The year 2011 had been marked by several catastrophes. Terrible earthquakes and a tsunami in Japan wiped out cities and villages. An earthquake in Spain damaged important historical landmarks. There was also the galactic alignment of planets in May 2011, and people speculated on possible upheavals in nature. There were also the wars in several critical areas in the Middle East. Was it the end of the world? Well, the world is still spinning, and we are still here.

The concluding words of Jesus in our Gospel should put useless discussions about the end of the world to rest. He says in the simplest and clearest words, “But of that day or that hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”

St. Augustine explains that the Heavenly Father decided to keep the exact day and hour of the world’s end to keep us looking forward to this very important moment and live our lives always to the optimum.

How best can we be prepared for the Heavenly Father’s surprise?

(1) Keep loving. We will always be judged and remembered by our loving acts and loving ways. People are willing to overlook many things about one whom they have experienced to be a truly loving person.

(2) Act justly. To act justly is to always be at peace because one owes nothing to anyone.

(3) Live in righteousness. When a person tries to follow the will of God in each circumstance of life, then a person’s conscience is clean and calm.

(4) Close each day with a forgiving heart. The Apostle Paul wrote, “Do not let the sun go down on your anger.” Always finish each day in peace with oneself and in harmony with everyone else.

(5) Pray! A genuine life of prayer makes us at home with God. Prayer is the language of friendship with God. Fr. Domie Guzman, SSP

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: Are you living in a state of spiritual preparedness? What can you do to make yourself always at peace and in harmony with anything?

 

Jesus, I pray that You will find me faithful when You come again in glory.

Daily Reflections - November 17,2012

GOD IS UNLIKE...

 

The Apostle Paul writes, “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). In another letter he also writes, “In all circumstances pray” (Ephesians 6:18). These words of his could have been inspired by the very teaching of Jesus about the need for perseverance in prayer. But lest we misunderstand Jesus’ parable on prayer that we read today, it is not one of similarity but of contrast. God is so unlike the corrupt judge featured in the parable.

First, the description of the judge as one who “neither feared God nor felt shame before men” and as one who is “unjust” is, of course, not applicable to God who is truth, justice and holiness. The story of Creation in Genesis 1 proclaims God as one who is good and whose acts result in nothing but goodness. In fact, the Apostle Paul proclaims that in God, “everything works for good for those who love him” (Romans 8:28).

Second, the point of the story that implies that the judge rendered favorable judgment for the widow due to the latter’s insistence cannot be overextended to God’s way of answering our prayers. God’s goodness and initiative are more than what we could ever imagine. God anticipates our needs. Jesus preached, “Your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matthew 6:8). Jesus went on to illustrate how the Heavenly Father provided for birds who never sowed nor reaped, for wild flowers whose splendor and lifespan were so short.

Therefore, our perseverance in prayer is not because God is hard to convince. Our perseverance in prayer is brought about by our confidence in God’s love and care for all of us. Fr. Domie Guzman, SSP

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: What images about God come to you in your prayer moments? What gives you the boldness and perseverance in prayer?

 

Jesus, give me the confidence to ask much in Your name.

 

Daily Reflections - November 16,2012

TIME AND PERSONS: CHERISHED GIFTS!   As I write these verses, I am in the midst of five families making their Family Encounter Weekend (FEW) at the retreat house of the Oblates Missionaries in Mapayapa Subdivision in Quezon City. During the morning prayers, I was inspired to share: “Lord, we recognize two important gifts we receive from You at the beginning of the day — the gift of time, which when it passes can never be repeated; and the gift of persons who are still with us now. Teach us to value these passing gifts and enjoy them while they are with us — the gift of “now” and the gift of “one another.” Today’s Gospel alerts us to this reality of our earthly existence: that all things are indeed passing, and there are no hints and clues when things will finally pass. We ought to use opportunities and we ought to do good to loved ones that we may live without regrets. Looking at the faces of the sponsoring families and auxiliaries who have joined us for the Family Encounter Weekend, I recognized two familiar faces — that of a mother and her daughter who eagerly watched all the proceedings, dialogues and exchanges of the participating five families. During the summer of 2010, this mother and daughter were part of the presenting family that helped me facilitate the Family Encounter. Little did we know that that summer of 2010 would be their last time to be a presenting family. They lost the father of their family to cancer. They are now left with memories, albeit beautiful, because I know the father had really prepared himself and the family for the sad parting. May the ending of each liturgical year — like what we are anticipating this month — remind us of the fragility and temporariness of even those that we hold close and dear to our hearts. No matter how busy we are, let us not allow this to cheat us out of making a most meaningful passage in our lives. As time and persons fade away, we are left with memories and legacies. Let us then focus on the building of memories and legacies. Fr. Domie Guzman, SSP   REFLECTION QUESTION: Make a list of persons close to you, and for each one of them, note down what you wish to be able to tell them and resolve to tell them these things the soonest.   I pray for the grace, Lord, to build meaningful memories and legacies.

Daily Reflections - November 15,2012

When Slavery is Sweet Surrender

 

For the modern man who has long rejected the inhumane practice of slavery, Paul’s encouragement of the slave Onesimus in the First Reading to return to his master might be scandalous. Slavery was legal and commonplace in those days. What Paul did was to use the language of his pagan audience and inject it with rich Christian meaning and interpretation.

Look at Ephesians 5 for example. Here, Paul speaks of a wife’s “submission” to her husband — a submission not of a servile kind but a submission to one whose mission is to love his wife as Christ loved the Church. And how did Christ love the Church? He died for Her and gave His life for Her. Christ is our master. But He is one master who came “not to be served but to serve, and to give his life for the ransom of many” (Mark 10:45). When this is the kind of master one has, submission and  slavery is such sweet surrender. Paul clearly admonishes Philemon not to look at Onesimus as a slave but as a “beloved brother” (see Philemon 1:16).

This is how Paul transforms the master-slave equation: from a servile slavery borne out of fear of a cruel and powerful master to a freely chosen submission to One who we know wishes not to dominate but to donate, to give His life as a ransom for many.

Anyone who has experienced Christ the Master cannot but be a “slave.” The saints know this. That is why they can say, “Take, Lord, and receive my entire liberty, my memory, my understanding, my whole will...”

Today, make St. Ignatius’s Prayer of Surrender below your own. Pray it in its entirety and ask the Lord to give you the grace to discover the paradox of real freedom in “slavery.” Fr. Joel Jason

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: Do you mirror Christ’s willingness to serve and not to be served?

 

“Take, O Lord, and receive my entire liberty, my memory, my understanding and my whole will. All that I am and all that I possess, You have given me. I surrender it all to You to be disposed of according to Your will. Give me only Your love and Your grace; with these I will be rich enough, and will desire nothing more.”

 

 

Daily Reflections - November 14,2012

Onward, Christian Soldier

 

A woman was praying her rosary inside the chapel. A woman carrying a baby was seated beside her. The baby started crying and would not stop despite the mother’s effort. The woman praying the rosary turned to the mother of the child and snapped, “@$%%^&)*! Don’t you see I’m praying?”

If our thoughts of the other world do not make us better citizens of this world, something is not right somewhere.

In yesterday’s letter to Titus, the bishop of the Christian community at Crete, Paul exhorted the community to live out the virtues of the man and woman transformed by the Risen Christ. By their conscious effort to live a virtuous life, virtues that often seem to contradict the secular sentiment, they are to be witnesses in the world of another world to which all of humanity is ultimately called to live and share in.

Today’s letter shows that while the Christian looks forward in hope and anticipation for the world that is to come, He remains connected with the world that is and endeavors to make this world more and more imbued with the values of the Kingdom. Listen to Paul’s admonition: “Remind people to be loyally subject to the government and its officials, to obey the  laws, to be ready to take on honest employment.” Paul sees Christianity as a positive force of growth and transformation in society.

Genuine Christianity is not a fuga mundi, that is, flee the world spirituality. A genuine Christian sees the good of this world as foretastes and presentiments of the world to come. There is no disconnect between the two worlds. A genuine Christian sees earthly life as a dress rehearsal for eternal life.

Jesus outlines the Christian vocation. We are salt of the earth and light of the world. A Christian does not turn his back on the world because there is evil in it. A Christian turns to the world and strives to overcome the evil in it. Our membership in God’s kingdom depends on the quality of our membership in this world. Fr. Joel Jason

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: Have you become discouraged by the evil around as to be apathetic, indifferent and skeptical of everything in the world?

 

Everything that proceeded from Your creating hand is good, O Lord. May I spend my days taking care of that goodness until I share in the Highest of all goods that is You. Amen.

 

Daily Reflections - November 13,2012

Say No Today!

 

In today’s First Reading, Paul writes a letter to Titus, the person in charge of the Church in Crete, and counsels him on the virtues necessary to pastor God’s flock. Read Paul’s recommendations: “Bid the older men to be temperate, serious… Bid the older women likewise to be reverent in behavior, not to be slanderers or slaves to drink… to be sensible, chaste… Likewise urge the younger men to control themselves.”

If there’s one word that can summarize the list of virtues Paul recommends, it is the word “no.”

“No” today is a not a very attractive word. In a world that puts an exaggerated premium on freedom, self-expression and spontaneity, “no” is oftentimes perceived as an impediment to individuality. Some modern schools of psychology even counsel young parents to always give in to growing children’s every whim and likes, lest they grow up full of resentment and “stunted” in their growth potentials.

How different this is in the world I grew up in. In our household, my parents’ rearing principle has always been, “If you want children to grow up with their feet on the ground, never hesitate to put weight on their shoulders.”

The modern-day man wants to be free and rightly so. But our idea of freedom is saying “yes” or giving in to whoever, whatever and whenever. Paradoxically, the modern day value of freedom that we espouse can only be achieved when we train ourselves to say “no.” “No” is actually the indispensable partner of “yes.” One can only genuinely say “yes” to something when one has the equal capacity to say “no.” If one cannot say “no,” one is actually not free. Self-mastery is the fruit of periodically saying “no” even to things that are inherently good. Self-mastery is what characterizes our humanity. Fr. Joel Jason

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: Are temperance and self-denial a regular part of your daily self-training?

 

Bless my resolve, O Lord, to be master of my wants, impulses and desires. Help me claim the dignity of the humanity You gifted me with. Amen.

 

Daily Reflections - November 12,2012

Seek the Face of God

 

Some years ago, an agency launched a special fleet of planes that would be specially dedicated to religious pilgrimages. It was endorsed by the Vatican and, during the blessing, they revealed that the motto of these planes that were printed on every backseat goes, “Cerco il tuo volto, Signore.” That is Italian for “I seek Your face, O Lord.”

I smiled. I thought it was a little scary being in a plane and right in front of you are the words, “I seek Your face, O Lord.” If I were on that flight, I might add, “But not right now, O Lord.”

As today’s antiphon in the Responsorial Psalm invites, “Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.” This is the Christian’s ultimate goal: to behold the face of God. We all want to see the Lord’s face. But as I jokingly said, not immediately. I think you know what I mean.

But seeing the Lord’s face need not happen only after we die. Seeing the Lord’s face is an everyday calling and duty for a Christian. Doesn’t the Bible exhort us, “Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister” (1 John 4:20-21)? And didn’t Jesus tell us, “Whoever does these things to the least of his brethren, he did it to me” (Matthew 25:40)?

In the classic musical play Les Miserables, the criminal Jan Valjean was converted when the bishop showed him Christian charity beyond what he deserved. In an unforgettable line of the final song, the characters proclaimed, “To love another person is to see the face of God!”

So you want to see the face of God? Don’t wait until the end of your days. Seeing the face of God means seeing God in every person we meet. Seeing the face of God also means seeing each person we encounter with the eyes of Jesus. Fr. Joel Jason

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: Is seeing the face of God for you only a “spiritual reality” that you look forward to at the twilight of life?

 

Lord Jesus, may I behold Your face always. And may I also give face to the beauty of Your truth. Amen.

 

Daily Reflections - November 11,2012

Give Your All

 

A parish priest was trying to encourage his congregation to give out donations for their church renovation project. As the collection bag was being passed around, he made a passionate speech. “My dearly beloved, remember, God will not look at what you will put in the bag. He will look at what is left in your wallets.”

Jesus in today’s Gospel gave a tribute to the poor widow’s temple contribution: “I want you to observe that this poor widow contributed more than all the others who donated to the treasury. They gave from their surplus wealth, but she gave from her want, all she had to live on.”

All she had to live on. Yes, God demands that we give our all.

The word “all” seems to be a favorite of the Lord. In His other teachings in the Gospel, Jesus encouraged us to love God with all our hearts, all our soul and all our strength. However, I believe we should not understand “all” in a mathematical way. “All” should be understood not in the sense of arithmetic quantity but proportionate quality.

For example, I don’t believe God expects us to literally empty our wallets every time the collection bag is passed before us. I’m sure God knows that families need to set something aside for food on the table. But “all” does mean that I don’t give loose change in church while I splurge for something like vanity items and recreation.

Worshiping God with “all my heart” does not mean I spend 24 hours of my day in church, forgetting all my other responsibilities. But it does mean that church should be a priority in my activities for the day. It does mean that I put off my cell phone during Mass to block off potential distractions. It does mean I dispose myself well and consecrate that time for God.

Give your “all” to God, always. And measure your “all” not with a calculator but with your heart. Fr. Joel Jason

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: When you give, does it “hurt” you in a certain sense? If not, you may have just disposed of something you didn’t need or want after all.

 

Lord Jesus, place before me always the true measure of giving — giving without measure. Amen.

Daily Reflections - November 9,2012

To Whom or What Do You Dedicate Yourself?

 

When I was young, I would often see this particular set of china and silverware “enshrined” in our kitchen cabinet. It was often wiped and cleaned though rarely used. When I see my mother take them out and set them on the dining table, that’s an indication that we’re celebrating something grand, something special – perhaps a birthday or a holiday like Christmas and New Year. It was dedicated for special feasts.

Today the Church celebrates the feast of the Dedication of St. John Lateran. As a student priest in Rome, I learned that the Lateran was actually the Cathedral Church of the Bishop of Rome, who also happens to be the Pope, and is considered to be the “Head and Mother” of all churches in the world. The rite of dedication of a church means it is consecrated for a singular and special purpose. Something dedicated cannot be used apart from the purpose it was dedicated to be. To do so would constitute an act of desecration or sacrilege.

In his first letter to the believers in Corinth, St. Paul likened the Christian to a sacred edifice dedicated for a special purpose. He writes, “You are God’s building... You are the temple of God... and that the Spirit of God dwells in you. If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, and you are that temple.”

Our body, our whole person, is also dedicated, consecrated for a sacred purpose. We do not treat the body simply as a physical specimen. Likewise, we do not treat the actions done by and done to our bodies as meaningless and trivial. This is why the Christian does not see sex like a recreation or contact sport. This is why the Christian avoids any kind of vice that endangers the health of his body. This is why the Christian refuses to perform evil because evil actions affect the personal disposition.

Every Christian is dedicated, set apart for the good, the true and the beautiful. Fr. Joel Jason

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: Do you maintain a healthy respect for your body and others’ as well? Do you keep in mind your consecration for the good?

 

God our Father, You have consecrated and set me apart in baptism. I rededicate myself to You today. Amen.

Daily Reflections - November 8,2012

You ’re Still You!

 

Imagine you’re in a bus and you have with you blank sheets of bond paper. Suddenly the bus speeds off and several blank sheets flew out the window. Would you bother to ask the bus driver to stop so you could go running after the papers? Probably not. They’re just blank sheets anyway and there are still many left with you.

But what if the paper you were holding contained your dissertation and when the bus sped off, a single sheet flew away. I bet you would not even wait for the bus to stop. You would get off and run after that single sheet. Why bother? You still have several sheets with you. Why endanger your life for that single sheet?

It is not the number of sheets but the uniqueness of each sheet of paper that matters. Each sheet of paper is unique, and each sheet has a unique contribution to the betterment of the whole.

In the same vein, we cannot appreciate Jesus’ parable of the single lost sheep and the single lost coin unless we see it from the vantage point not of quantity but of quality. Truly, even if it has wandered away, the shepherd will risk life and limb to find the missing one because it is unique and special. In a world where people can treat one another as disposable, dispensable and replaceable, the Gospel is a consoling reminder that God looks at each one of us in our uniqueness and individuality. God wishes the return even of a single sinner because no one is disposable in His beautiful creation. Even the sinner has a soul uniquely created by God and called to uniquely share in the divine life.

This is truly good news for each and every one of us! Fr. Joel Jason

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: Are there people whom you treat as dispensable, that is, just one among the many? Do you appreciate the uniqueness of your person?

 

O God, You knew me even before I was fashioned in my mother’s womb. I rejoice in my uniqueness. May I rejoice in others,’ too. Amen.

Daily Reflections - November 7,2012

LEADING AND LEARNING TO BE LED

 

It is discouraging for a leader to constantly justify himself before his people. We need to learn to trust our leaders’ judgment and follow their lead. But if you have a moral objection to a particular course of action, you are free to express it but even then there are ways of doing so loyally. It may not be necessary to challenge the leadership of a person in a public manner. However, there are times when even this is necessary.

It is important that leaders know what they are asking for from their people. It is important that a leader never asks anyone to do something he is not willing to do. It is essential that a leader lead the way by example. The place for the leader is at the front, though a leader must always have a mind for the next generation and actively prepare those who will take his place in the coming years. Leadership is not an easy task. While there are honors that often accompany it, still it is first and foremost a place of service and laying down one’s life for the cause at hand.

St. Paul tells us that we should avoid complaining and arguing. He tells us to be ready to live as sons and daughters of God. He says that we must be ready to place the power of our wills at the service of God’s will and His Kingdom. This is the race that really matters. It does not matter if we earn the most money or become the most famous or have the most political power or whatever it is that the world decides is important. What matters is that we run the race of our faith to the finish line – namely, do the will of God as it is presented to us from day to day. This, along with the grace of God, is the only way to ensure that we will be saved. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: As a Christian leader, are you willing to be led by your mentors and guides, or do you resist submitting your life to others?

 

Jesus, grant me the grace to realize that I need all the help I can get. May I always be ready to receive the advice of those who know better than I do.