Christ the King Parish, Filinvest II, Quezon City
I love the Beatles. They somehow wrote the soundtrack of my growing up years. And even today, their songs still resonate strongly with me.
They were the children of our age: the sexual revolution, the shedding off of long-held traditions, the creeping influence of secularism, a time of great hopes and idealism. They were not particularly religious. And yet they wrote some of the most spiritual songs I know.
They simply dipped into the Universal Consciousness and they were able to imagine what it would be like it men just simply were to be human. They needed no theology nor philosophy to help them realize that to be human mean to do no evil, to do good, not to harm nor hurt others, to do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
And I simply love their song “The Fool on the Hill”! I believe and have been trying to follow a man whose teachings are not only counter-cultural and counter-intuitive but also contradictory. He probably was the original Beatle.
On the one hand, he promises comfort for those who follow him: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” And then his challenge is the daily cross: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” Love and faith are arational.
I once wanted to follow him in a more heroic fashion. But he has led me through another path. I am not complaining. But this morning, I want to remember all my friends and colleagues who started out to heed the call and have persevered. They have left everything to follow him. I say a special prayer for them, for the gift of perseverance and total dedication to their vocation.