WE ARE ONE

WE ARE ONE

 

The community of believers was of one heart and mind. – Acts 4:32

 

I have an uncle who is a Mormon and a cousin who is a member of Ang Dating Daan. There was a time when we would challenge one another’s beliefs during reunions, trying to “convert” one another or at least come up on top in the debate.

No one has ever left the table a winner.

Why?

Instead of focusing on what we commonly believed, such as living upright, praying, giving and loving, we chose to focus on what made us different.

After a while, we realized the futility of arguing. And what do we now focus on during reunions?

Eating heartily and having fun.

Now there is laughter and joy as we catch up with each other’s lives. We serve food to one another and honor the presence of our elders. Our children play games and dance and sing.

After all we are family and that is the reason for reunions. It reminds us that we have more sameness than differences.

We can be one, even if we have different beliefs. Jun Asis (mabuting.balita@gmail.com)

 

REFLECTION:

Family, kindness, generosity, love, faith, hope: Look to these similarities that will overshadow any difference.

 

Lord, may I find common ground to build a loving relationship with those of different beliefs, especially those in my family. Amen.

WE MUST STRUGGLE TO BELIEVE WHEN IN DOUBT

 

Nicodemus will not die wondering. He is giving all that he can in order to understand what Jesus has to say to him in answer to his questions. This is a great example for us. I love to see people pursuing a good object or end with the attitude, “never give up!” It is inspiring to see people with the attitude that there is no mountain too high or chasm too deep that it will stop them from attaining their goal. Remember, St. Paul tells us that God never tests us beyond our strength and that with the Holy Spirit beside us, nothing is impossible.

I can remember the first time I struggled to understand a math concept. I was in my fourth year in high school and we were studying Cartesian diagrams. For one reason or another, I could not grasp the essence of the lesson. I went home and went over the notes in the book and, presto! I understood it as I struggled through the seemingly at first gobbledy-gook of a chapter.  However, once I gained the essential insight, the whole lesson fell into place like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle coming together. It was a lesson to me: if at first you do not succeed, try and try again.

This is an attitude we have to bring to our faith understanding or we will often be left wondering what it is the Spirit is trying to say to us. As a child I was often told that the good things in life often only come through struggle and nothing could be truer of my experience of the spiritual life. In fact, if there is not a struggle involved in attaining something, we will never really appreciate it in its fullness as we have not had to work and sacrifice in order to get it. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

 

Reflection Question:

Nicodemus struggles to come to an understanding of what the Spirit is saying to him. Do I struggle to understand my faith with the same integrity as his?

 

Father, You call us to eternal life with You. I cannot think of any greater reward for faithfulness than this. Help me to always seek to understand fully the different aspects of my faith.

 

St. Caradoc, pray for us.