A SPRING IN THE DESERT

A SPRING IN THE DESERT

 

“Yes, days are coming, says the Lord God, when I will send famine upon the land: not a famine of bread, or thirst for water, but for hearing the word of the Lord.” – Amos 8:11

 

I had to ask my husband about this verse when it struck me. He explained that the book of Amos spoke of the many injustices of the people during those times. Through Amos, the Lord spoke of how He was to punish them for their wrong deeds. The chastisement would progress from bad to worst, this verse being the ultimate end. “You will not hear me,” God was saying, “I will no longer speak.”

As I thought about it, I remembered a time in my life when I somehow felt like that. The Lord seemed so distant and quiet. Yes, it was much worse than a famine or drought.

I prayed to God for guidance. Then a patient told me about the Retreat in Daily Life that she attended. A program given by the Center for Ignatian Spirituality, the retreat is an adaptation of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola and is most suitable for “those who want to attend to their spiritual thirst or hunger.” Perfect, I thought. I signed up.

I thank God for drawing me closer to Himself in ways I cannot even imagine.

I thank Him that He chose not to be silent. Lallaine Gogna (lallygogna@yahoo.com)

 

REFLECTIONS:

“When you seek me with all your heart, you will find me.” (Jeremiah 29:13)

 

Lord, mold me as clay in the hands of a potter. May the droughts and famines in my life serve only to bring me closer to You. Amen.

MERCY AND SACRIFICE

 

What does Jesus mean when He tells us that He wants mercy and not sacrifice? One way to interpret these words has to do with their general context.

When we make a sacrifice, we do not necessarily consider anyone else. Some sacrifices may include considering others but this is not always the case. However, mercy is impossible without the context of a relationship with the person to whom we are to give mercy. Thus, perhaps Jesus is emphasizing to His listeners that there is greater imperative to work on relationships with others rather than just the things and issues that affect one’s self.

Here we are drawn into the fundamental nature of humanity as a communal being. People cannot and do not flourish well on their own, apart from relationship with other human beings. Yes, we all need space and time to be alone, but we also need to be in relationship with others. Otherwise, we will lose our humanity. It is important that we realize this for our own mental and spiritual health.

One of the traps of religion is that it can become very selfcentered. “My” relationship with God becomes the only imperative in my life and everything revolves around it to the point that we become isolated from our fellow human beings. This can be a subtle process that affects anyone attempting to grow spiritually. We have to realize that we need one another in order to grow in our relationship with God or we will risk the possibility that we will begin to live in an “unreal world,” detached from the responsibilities towards those around us.

We probably know people who are partially or well down this path. We need to pray for them and do what we can to draw them back to their relationships with their families and communities so that they will not lose touch with reality. We need to do this carefully and gently so as not to disillusion or hurt them.Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

 

Reflection Question:

How are my relationships with my family, friends and community? Is there anything in particular that needs my time and attention to make it better and healthier?

 

Lord Jesus, help me to realize that having good people around me is always an asset in growing in my faith. Help me to listen to the wisdom they have for my life.

 

St. Otto of Bamberg, pray for us.

STOP THE BLAME

STOP THE BLAME

 

“Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.” – Matthew 9:6

 

In the Garden of Eden, the Lord God asked the woman, “What is this you have done?” She replied, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

After all these centuries, nothing much has changed. People still say, “The devil made me do it!” There are people who find the devil hiding behind every corner, tempting us, oppressing us. They like blaming demons for everything — a flat tire, a migraine, a sick child, a divorce, a loss of job, a business failure, an adulterous relationship.

But here’s the truth: the devil operates on borrowed power. Whose power? Yours. Unless you give your power to the devil, he will have no power over you. Because his power is based on lies and fear.

The more we fear him, the more power he has over us. Friend, here’s the truth: You have power over the devil. Why? Because you’re a child of God.

Chisel this on stone: Blaming the devil for our problems is useless. In fact, he likes that you blame him. By making himself bigger, he has power over your life. Instead, be courageous enough to take full responsibility for your actions. And by your courage to take charge, you will free yourself — and others as well.Bo Sanchez (bosanchez@kerygmafamily.com)

 

REFLECTION:

Are there some areas in your life that are askew? How do you think you have contributed to it?

 

Dear Lord, grant me courage to take responsibility for whatever is not going right in my life and to do my best to correct the situation.

 

THE AUTHORITY OF JESUS DEMONSTRATED

 

Authority is one of the things anyone with common sense will look for in a leader. Will people listen to this person when he or she speaks? Without authority, a leader is crippled and will be unable to perform the necessary duties of leadership. One of the things lacking in many of the world leaders today is moral authority. They lack the ability to command the undivided attention of people simply because, too often, their lives are compromised from a moral point of view. They may be great economic or political leaders, but to command enduring attention, moral authority is important as it is what commends the humanity of an individual to another.

Jesus had no such problem. Even His enemies recognized His authority, though they did everything they could to question and undermine it. The example of Jesus naturally raises this question in my mind: “Who in my life’s experience has most closely exercised the authority that Jesus had?” There are only two real candidates for me: Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II. These two people, whether you agreed with their moral stance or not, unquestionably lived out what they preached. The witness of their lives unequivocally supported all they said and stood for. In fact, even people opposed to many of their moral positions recognized their authority and respected it. This is what it means to command authority in a secular world.

As Christians, we must ensure that the witness of our lives follow the same kind of authority that Jesus had by ensuring that we live what we proclaim and have properly informed ourselves regarding moral truth. The world cannot afford to accept just another moral opinion regarding issues of life and death. It needs the truth and we must be willing to provide. It is in the truth that authority finds its basis. Let us seek to know the truth, to live the truth and to proclaim the truth in all that we say and do. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

 

Reflection Question:

What authority does the witness of my life carry with it? Am I compromised in any way by the things I do?

 

Jesus, help me to know and understand the thruth as it pertains to my life so that I can live it and thus give witness to the Gospel of life in all that I do.

 

St. Veep, pray for us.

GREATER SACRIFICE

GREATER SACRIFICE

 

“Your cereal offering I will not accept.” – Amos 5:22

 

Gail and Carla’s mom is in the final stage of liver cancer. To ease her last days, Gail agreed to shoulder the expenses and bring their mom to the hospital.

Gail sent her driver to pick up her mom. During her short visits to the hospital, she tried to keep the expenses down. She chose a private room in the hospital’s old building where it’s cheaper. She selected a doctor who is a family friend. She limited the medications, stressing there’s no need for heroic efforts. Indeed, she’s generous and practical at the same time.

Carla, for her part, never left her mom’s side. She took a leave from work and hardly slept every night. She gently eased her mom’s fears on the way to the hospital. She cleaned her wounds and kept her comfortable. She monitored her labored breathing and adjusted the oxygen mask when it slips.

Though both gave up something for love of their mom, I think Carla’s sacrifice is the model of Christian love.

Jesus died on a cross to redeem us from sin. Our love for Him should compel us to respond likewise, by giving up our lives for others and for Him.Cecilia Lim (cez_lim@yahoo.com)

 

REFLECTION:

“I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” (2 Samuel 24:24)

 

Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee.

 

THAT WE MAY LIVE!

 

One memorable piece of writing is that of Henry David Thoreau’s On Walden Pond. It became the basis of that old movie Dead Poet’s Society of Robin Williams fame. He spoke about his excursion to the woods “because he wished to live life deliberately” and also because he wanted to avoid the pain of discovering at the end, “that he had not lived.”

This became the basis, too, of my own “excursion to the woods” via mountain climbing. In my younger years, I had wanted to“drive life into a corner” and to look at the heights and “lift up my eyes to the mountains, from where shall come my help.” It had become the guiding motif of my personal vision, summed up in the Gospel passage, “ascende superius!” (Go up higher!), which I am glad to note one of our schools had adopted, too, as their motto. Today, Amos would have us “suck the very marrow out of life.” “Seek good and not evil,” he says, “that you may live.” But there is more to life than just going for an excursion to the woods. Living deliberately and living fully can never be a simple walk in the park that does not carry with it important responsibilities. No, living is so dear. It costs. It pains. And it makes demands. The discipleship that Christ calls us to would not allow us the luxury of dilly-dallying, vacillating and engaging in double-dealing. Amos reminds us of its costs: “Hate evil and love good; let justice prevail.”

Make no mistake about it. The call to discipleship would have us dispel “all that does not lead to life.” At the Gadarene territory, he made that lesson clear like no one else did. Two men possessed by demons were cleared decisively of what tortured them. And it took Christ’s unequivocal command to get them to the much hated swine, that went down to their watery grave. “Out with you!”

There’s more to being a Christian than “living life deliberately.” “I came that you may life, and have it to the full.” Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB

 

Reflection Question:

Is there an area of my life that is dead or does not grow? What can give it life?

 

Lord Jesus, grant me the grace to open my life to You completely so that I may live my life to the full!

 

Blessed Raymond Lull, pray for us.

GOD, MY SAVIOR

The Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul: The burial place of the Russian Imperial family

Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles

 

GOD, MY SAVIOR

 

The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat and will bring me safe to his heavenly kingdom. – 2 Timothy 4:18

 

My brother-in-law arrived home past midnight. He alighted from his vehicle and opened the gate. Two masked men approached him and declared a carnap. His wife and their teenage children heard the commotion and went out of their house. They begged the men not to get the van. When I heard their shouts and cries, I decided to go out to see what was happening. Then there was a gunshot. Then silence. Then their van and the other car sped off.

Thank God, even if the van was taken, the Lord covered us all with His protection. Some neighbors planned to help but backed out when they saw the armed men. My brother-in-law just had bruises on his arms and upper back. The carnappers pointed the gun at his wife and kids but fired up in the air. I was just about to go out of our house when the gun was fired.

It took some time before we all fully recovered from that incident. What saw us through? We continuously called upon the Lord and trusted in His saving power.

There was no trace of the van so the insurance company covered it. My in-laws are now blessed with a new car. God is good … all the time! Sol Saura (solmsaura@gmail.com)

 

 

REFLECTION:

Whom do we call when we are faced with danger?

 

If I should ever walk in the valley of darkness, no evil will I fear. Lord, You are always there to show the way.

UNITY IN DIVERSITY

 

Societal fragmentation continues to be a serious problem, among others, that plague our nation. Even the religious landscape is not spared this disturbing reality. The much vaunted trait of Filipino religiosity does not anymore appear as rosy and optimistic as it seemed not too long ago. Many of us now appear to be no more than nominal Catholics, whose positions with regard to the important moral teachings of the Church, appear to be tentative, at best, and tenuous, at worst. Diversity and pluralism appear to be important values in our times.

Today’s feast of Sts. Peter and Paul shows us that diversity is not bad in itself. Peter and Paul are two very different personalities, each with his own paradigms and ways of doing things; each with his own priorities and individual character traits. The two had their own share of passionate disagreements on certain practices to be imposed on the early Christians. Peter was the anointed head of the college of apostles; Paul was the missionary par excellence, who “became all things to all men in the hope of saving at least some of them.” Peter represented the bastion of stability; Paul represented courageous initiative and inculturated evangelization. But both constituted a firm and solid foundation for the incipient Church.

Unity in diversity — this shines out brightly in the horizon of currentday pluralism and apparent cultural and even religious confusion, brought about by the towering examples of Peter and Paul. We all could learn a lesson or two from them. Peter and Paul are the two pillars of the Church. Peter, the fisherman, ended up as shepherd who steered the boat of the Church as the first Pope. Paul, the factotum, the Jack-of-all trades, became the missionary who founded burgeoning communities all over the known world in his time. Despite the differences between them and between us all now, the Church remains one. Despite the diversity and other new forms of variety, the Church also remains Catholic or universal. May Sts. Peter and Paul continue to guide us in our search for oneness.Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB

 

Reflection Question:

How open am I to accepting the differences in personality of the people around me?

 

Lord God, may I always remember that You have created all of us differently, with our own unique traits, and therefore accept people as they are.

 

St. Cocha, pray for us.

NOT WITHOUT PAIN

NOT WITHOUT PAIN

 

“Follow me…” – Matthew 8:22

 

High from my Holy Land pilgrimage experience, I had wanted to enter the religious life. I wanted to give God my whole life, to love only Him and serve Him. I thought it was the best way I could follow Him.

But when subsequent search-in retreats and discernment process revealed that God wasn’t calling me to the religious life, I told the Lord, “Just tell me what to do or where to go, I will follow You.”

It was a simple sentence — though not really simple, I found out later. It involved my whole life. It led me to face my hidden issues and weaknesses as well as give glory to God with my strengths and talents. It led me to different routes and ways of serving God. It led me to simplify my lifestyle and to be grateful for even the tiniest blessing.

The above didn’t happen without pain. There was a lot of push and pull, and many times I wanted to take back my word.

It’s a good thing the Lord knows how it is to be human. Whenever I want to give up, He’s there to comfort me and whisper to me what He wants me to learn in each difficulty and trial. And when I’m ready again, He gives me a pat on the back and tells me once more, “Follow me.”Tess V. Atienza (svp_tvatienza@yahoo.com)

 

REFLECTION:

Following Jesus is a daily commitment.

 

Lord Jesus, I want to follow You. Please hold my hand.

YOU ARE MY INHERITANCE, O LORD!

 

Anyone who has ever received something passed on as heirloom from the past knows how valuable that is. One tends to treasure it, no matter how materially insignificant. Whether or not precious materially, it carries a value which no money can buy – the sense of connection and intimacy with whoever has passed it on as inheritance.

My sister, who is a nurse in the US, had this unforgettable experience. She had an old man for a patient for some time. Knowing that her daughter was learning piano and violin at that time, the old man included her in his last will and testament. No, it was not about money or anything materially valuable. He passed on to her his favorite piano pieces. I imagined that something he so valued in his life was passed on as inheritance to someone whom he probably thought would value it just as he did.

Elijah passed on his valuable cloak to Elisha. Elisha valued it just as much and followed his footsteps. Elisha stood in stark contrast to the three

would-be disciples in the Gospel passage, who hemmed and hawed, just to avoid the equivalent of that cloak, and the responsibility attached to it. Each had a valid reason against accepting the most difficult part of the deal of discipleship.

Something more than just piano pieces is offered us. That cloak of discipleship is waiting for us to truly receive and make our own. Elisha shows us the way. St. Paul reminds us that we have been given what it takes: “For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm and do not submit to the yoke of slavery.” That yoke takes the form of too much attachment to kith and kin, or the fear of not having enough for the journey. For still others, it might be the incapacity to let go of persons, places, or things.

The psalmist’s prayer is a reminder for us to see things from God’s vantage point. He gives not just a cloak, but Himself. Together with Him, we pray: “You are my inheritance, O Lord!” Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB

 

Reflection Question:

How much do I value the inheritance of faith that has been passed on to us by the apostles?

 

Lord Jesus, You have given us a most valuable inheritance — our faith. May I learn how to nurture it day by day.

 

St. Emma, pray for us.