Hail, Mary!

Posted on December 21, 2014 by Spirit Moments

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Christmas is not Christmas without Christ in it. The Christmas story can never be told with out Mary in it. In fact, Salvation History would not have unfolded as it had without Mary’s ‘Fiat’. It is one of God’s amazing ways how a simple teen-aged virgin would serve as the linchpin of such a cosmic event as God becoming man.

In many societies and cultures during that time of Mary, and in fact still in some societies and cultures today, women were considered as of no real consequence. Sometimes, no better than a piece of chattel. God chose to write man’s story through the consent of a woman.

I cannot imagine my life with the women in it. I think of Ima and all the love and nurturing she gave me. I thank all the women who have brought color and meaning into my life, with no one more than Anabelle. I have always told friends and anyone who would care to listen that Anabelle makes things happen. Just as Mary made the Incarnation happen, so did Anabelle make our wedding happen. There were just too many obstacles to be overcome and she swept them all away. We are where we are today because she kept on pushing things forward.

I am disconsolate right now. Yesterday, I was hurt because of something that she did. Now, she is heavy-hearted because of the things I have said. And I am in even greater throes of sadness than I was yesterday. And yet, I know I love her and she loves me. This is another difficult period in our relationship. It is a time when we realize that love is a decision. We are both making the decision to love. Right. Now.

For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
~ Psalm 89

The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.”
Luke 1:26-30

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‘Fiat’ to Life’s Unfolding

Posted on December 20, 2014 by Spirit Moments

In everyday language, a stoic is one who can endure pain or hardship without complaint or without any display of emotions or feelings. But as a philosophy or even as a way of life, stoicism extolled virtue as the highest good. And virtue is based on knowledge of the world and nature, of the self and the other. There is virtue in knowledge and wisdom. The wise live in harmony with the divine Reason, also identified with Fate and Providence, that governs nature. Because of this knowledge, they are indifferent to the vicissitudes of fortune and to pleasure and pain. They live life not as they would want it to happen but they wish for life to happen as it should and for them to be able to deal with it, no matter what.

Life, in all its myriad manifestations, exists. It was here before I was. And it will be here long after I am gone. I can sometimes direct some slices of life hither or thither but it goes on for the most part where and when it wills. I cannot therefore pray for life to unfold as I would want it to. I can only pray that life unfolds as it should and that I know and become aware of how and when life is unfolding. Then, I pray for the courage and the strength to live life as it is meant to unfold and happen.

This is ssence of Mary’s “Fiat”. She acknowledged the power of the Divine over her life and simply prayed, “May it be done to me according to Thy word,”  It is obedience to the Divine Will, a detachment from the things of this world, a freedom that yearns and hopes for the fullness of life that will given us in the fullness of time.

Let the Lord enter; he is the king of glory.
~ Psalm 24

Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her. 
Luke 1:38

 
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Being Mute and Silent

Posted on December 19, 2014 by Spirit Moments

During my stay in the seminary, there were moments during the day we would observe the rule of silence. The rule of silence did not only mean keeping quiet but also being mute, speechless and not uttering a word. We were not allowed to talk. There times we would not speak a word for days on end like during retreats or during the Holy Week. It is a discipline I have come to appreciate and still practice today. That is, not talking and not saying a word.

There are times when there are no words to capture or describe an experience. And it is best to just live in the moment and fully relish it. The mystics have a word for it – the ineffable. Many times during prayer, I just sit in silence before the ineffable. It is the same feeling when I stand before a magnificent scenery, or hold a baby in my hands, or lose a loved one either to death or separation.

There are other times when words seem inadequate or superfluous. A loved one is in pain and no words can relieve the suffering better than a touch or an embrace. Words just get in the way. My presence is the only comfort and support I can give. During such times, the words from a favorite song ring so true, “You say it best when you say nothing at all.”

There are also times when I get hurt by another and there is nothing more I would want to do than to let out all the vitriol boiling within me and let the other person have it. I am very careful during such times. I am afraid I will cause irreparable damage to a relationship or that I will hurt the other person even more than he has hurt me. During such times, I choose to keep silent and not utter a word. I just wait for the tempest within me to pass.

Silence can be golden. And there are times when there is more wisdom in something unspoken than in all the fancy words I can think of.

My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory!
~ Psalm 71

Then Zechariah said to the angel,
“How shall I know this?
For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.”
And the angel said to him in reply,
“I am Gabriel, who stand before God.
I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news.
But now you will be speechless and unable to talk
until the day these things take place,
because you did not believe my words,
which will be fulfilled at their proper time.”
Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah
and were amazed that he stayed so long in the sanctuary.
But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them,
and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary.
He was gesturing to them but remained mute.
Luke 1:18-22

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Being Like Joseph

Posted on December 18, 2014 by Spirit Moments

I often think about Joseph, the husband of Mary. There is very little written about him in the gospels. And most of what is written about him is not very comforting nor comfortable. He marries and virgin and then he finds out she is with child. And the child is not his. Then, he is told in his sleep to accept the child as his own. And when the child is due, it happens they are out of town and they could not find decent lodging. So, his son is born in a stable among animals, most unsanitary. Then all sorts of visitors, whom he did not know, stream into their lives to see their newborn son. He must have been confused, bewildered and totally perplexed. He must have died early so that he never saw his son grow up to be crucified. But the son was known in their place as the carpenter’s son.

I to am often confused, bewildered and totally perplexed about life. I resort to prayer to make sense of what is happening to me and in my life. I do not understand why certain things happen but in prayer I eventually come to terms with the events in my life. I pray that I see God’s hand and His presence in everything I do. Sometimes, it is easy. Other times, it is difficult. At night, before, I finally doze off to sleep, I pray to the Lord that He tells me in my sleep and in my dreams I am too busy to notice during my waking hours.  And when I wake up in the morning, I offer the new day to the Lord and pray that I be sensitive to His promptings and His presence in me and around me.

Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
~ Psalm 72

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means “God is with us.”
When Joseph awoke,he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his home.
He had no relations with her until she bore a son, and he named him Jesus. 
Matthew 1:18-24

 

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Musings on Life and Death During Advent

Posted on December 17, 2014 by Spirit Moments

Life is a most wonderful gift and it is passed on to us, generation to generation. And life will always find a way to express itself in spite of all kinds of obstacles and difficulties. The roots of Jesus were not only noble kings and princes. They also included sinners and murderers.

As we go through Advent in preparation for the celebration of life on Christmas, we pray and are promised four gifts, represented by the four candles of Advent: the gifts of love, peace, joy, and hope, specially the hope for eternal life. Eternal life is the fulness of life that Christ promised those who believed in Him.

Our family just lost a dear family member to death, cancer. In spite of the promise of eternal life, we still view death with sadness and grief. it is still seen as a loss and a time for sorrow and tears. If we really take our beliefs seriously, it should be a time for rejoicing and celebration for the deceased has been born to eternal life.

This is just one of the many disconnections I experience when I think about death. Is it wrong to wish for death to finally come to the fulness of life in eternity? Why do we seek to prolong life here on earth, often a great effort and with heroic measures, when our true calling is life everlasting beyond death? Why do we mourn the loss of a departed loved one when he or she has finally left this valley of tears? If heaven is such a great place and the fulfillment of all our yearnings, why are people not in a hurry to get there?

I pray for Adora in joy and gratitude for her life on earth. I am happy that her sufferings are finally over. I am joyful that she is now at peace and living in eternal happiness. And it is with gladness that I will be saying goodbye to her who has gone to where we will all eventually be – in loving communion with the God who gifted us with life. For in Christ, whose birth as a man we are preparing for this Advent, we shall have conquered death.

From the great metaphysical poet, John Donne:

Death be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadfull, for, thou art not soe,
For, those, whom thou think’st, thou dost overthrow,
Die not, poore death, nor yet canst thou kill mee.
From rest and sleepe, which but thy pictures bee,
Much pleasure, then from thee, much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee doe goe,
Rest of their bones, and soules deliverie.
Thou art slave to Fate, Chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poyson, warre, and sicknesse dwell,
And poppie, or charmes can make us sleepe as well,
And better then thy stroake; why swell’st thou then?
One short sleepe past, wee wake eternally,
And death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die.

Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
~ Psalm 72

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ,
the son of David, the son of Abraham. . . .
. . . .
Abraham became the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. . . . 
. . . .
Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.

Thus the total number of generations
from Abraham to David is fourteen generations;
from David to the Babylonian exile, fourteen generations;
from the Babylonian exile to the Christ, fourteen generations.
Matthew 1:1-17

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Proof Of Goodness

Posted on December 16, 2014 by Spirit Moments

Sometimes, in my efforts to be good and do what is right, I end up putting on blinders of self-righteousness. I become proud and condemn those whom I see as not making the same efforts at goodness and I do. I become self-entitled and start believing I can be pardoned for my ‘small’ transgressions for all the good I am doing. I may even become deceitful, applying different standards of goodness for myself and for others. In the end, those whom I consider my inferiors do more good than I and are better disciples than I can ever hope to be.

The goodness I think of and believe I should be doing should not just stay in my head. It should travel to my heart and change me. And from my heart, it should come to my hands and be evident in the things that I do. Doing good is not just an intellectual exercise. Neither is it just about feelings. The proof of the goodness is in the action and the doing.

The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
~ Psalm 34

Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you,
tax collectors and prostitutes
are entering the Kingdom of God before you.
When John came to you in the way of righteousness,
you did not believe him;
but tax collectors and prostitutes did.
Yet even when you saw that,
you did not later change your minds and believe him.”
Matthew 21:31-32

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Being Politically Correct

Posted on December 15, 2014 by Spirit Moments

There is a great tendency today, in polite society or in company you are new or not yet truly familiar with, to be politically correct for fear of hurting the sensibilities and feelings of others. This is very considerate of the feelings of others. Often though, this is carried to ridiculous extremes that it becomes doublespeak, or a code for just the opposite of what one wants to convey.

Christ was never one to mince His words. For the poor and the oppressed, he had words of comfort and consolation. But for the evil and the wicked and the devious, he only had words of judgement and condemnation.

Boris Pasternak once wrote, “In every generation, there has to be a fool who will speak the truth as he sees it.” Christ spoke the truth. Many thought  Him foolish to do so. And He ended up being the Fool on the Hill, crucified.

Teach me your ways, O Lord.
~ Psalm 25

When Jesus had come into the temple area,
the chief priests and the elders of the people approached him
as he was teaching and said,
“By what authority are you doing these things?
And who gave you this authority?”
Jesus said to them in reply,
“I shall ask you one question, and if you answer it for me,
then I shall tell you by what authority I do these things.
Where was John’s baptism from?
Was it of heavenly or of human origin?”
They discussed this among themselves and said,
“If we say ‘Of heavenly origin,’ he will say to us,
‘Then why did you not believe him?’
But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we fear the crowd,
for they all regard John as a prophet.”
So they said to Jesus in reply, “We do not know.”
He himself said to them,
“Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
Matthew 21:23-27

 
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The Joys of Hopeful Waiting

Posted on December 14, 2014 by Spirit Moments

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One of the quotes I often come across on Facebook is this one by Soren Kierkegaard, “Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.”  I find that reflecting on the past invariably shows me life’s lessons in many ways. And doing it several times over reveals nuances of meaning I might have missed the first time.

This exercise of reflection and rumination not only clarifies the past but also enlightens the future. With meaning, I can look forward to the future with hope and confidence. If the past is any indication, the future is going to be bright and even better. Because I am a creature who lives in time, my life is like an unfolding story. This gradual unfolding of my life makes me a person of hope, forever waiting.

Over the years, I have learned how and what it is to wait. Most of the time I have done so with a pretty good dose of patience and, yes, joy. From my early years as I little boy watching the road for my father to come home to my present senior years waiting for some important event in my life to happen, I have relished the joys of anticipating my blessings. Not all the blessings I have prayed and wished for have happened, at least not in the time and manner I expected. But the joyful waiting was as much a blessing as the receiving or the happening itself.

I love picking up people form the airport, specially loved ones like family or friends. I am extra attentive of people coming out of the terminal. I am extra aware of any announcements of the PA system about incoming flights. And there is always that joyful anticipation within me and my heart leaps up or skips a beat the moment I see the person I have come to pick up. Such simple joys.

I love gardening and see the plants growing. I wait for the tendrils to shoot out and when they do, it such a joy. I love it when the buds of new flowers begin sprouting out of my roses. I watch and wait everyday to catch the first hint of color bursting forth from the green buds. Until all at once, I have a full blown rose or a flower bush in a wild explosion of colors. Such simple joys.

Monday is my date night with Anabelle. I would rush through the week to get to Monday. Sometimes, the week cannot seem to move past enough for it to be Monday. But there is always some thrill in my spirit as I wait for Monday to come around again. Such simple joys.

Now multiply those simple joys of hopeful waiting and anticipation a hundredfold, a thousandfold, a millionfold. That is the joy of waiting that Advent is. I share in the ebullient joy of Jane and Jonathan as they wait for Christmas to happen and unfold. It is like the tumescence there is in creation as it yearns for its Savior to come.

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. ~ Mary’s Magnificat

A man named John was sent from God.
He came for testimony, to testify to the light,
so that all might believe through him.
He was not the light, but came to testify to the light.

And this is the testimony of John.
When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests
and Levites to him to ask him, “Who are you?”
He admitted and did not deny it,
but admitted, “I am not the Christ.”
So they asked him, “What are you then? Are you Elijah?”
And he said, “I am not.”
“Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.”
So they said to him,
“Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us?
What do you have to say for yourself?”
He said: “I am the voice of one crying out in the desert,
‘make straight the way of the Lord,’”
as Isaiah the prophet said.”
John 1:6-8, 19-23

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Active Waiting During Advent

Posted on December 13, 2014 by Spirit Moments

Advent is a period of hopeful waiting. The first readings for the masses these day are all from the Book of Isaiah. They paint different pictures of the coming Messiah and the Kingdom He will bring about:

Creation will be re-created and and the Messiah will establish a Kingdom where everyone will live in peace and harmony:

Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the kid;
The calf and the young lion shall browse together,
with a little child to guide them.
The cow and the bear shall be neighbors,
together their young shall rest;
the lion shall eat hay like the ox.
The baby shall play by the cobra’s den,
and the child lay his hand on the adder’s lair.

The Lord will inaugurate His Kingdom and lay out great feast and celebration for all peoples:

On this mountain the LORD of hosts
will provide for all peoples
A feast of rich food and choice wines,
juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines.

In the Kingdom of the Messiah, justice and righteousness will prevail:

Lebanon shall be changed into an orchard,
and the orchard be regarded as a forest!
On that day the deaf shall hear
the words of a book;
And out of gloom and darkness,
the eyes of the blind shall see.
The lowly will ever find joy in the LORD,
and the poor rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
For the tyrant will be no more
and the arrogant will have gone.

At the coming of God’s Kingdom, the earth will be fruitful, rich and abundant again, forever:

He will give rain for the seed
that you sow in the ground,
And the wheat that the soil produces
will be rich and abundant.
On that day your flock will be given pasture
and the lamb will graze in spacious meadows;
The oxen and the asses that till the ground
will eat silage tossed to them
with shovel and pitchfork.
Upon every high mountain and lofty hill
there will be streams of running water.

But people have to make preparations for the coming of the Messiah and His Kingdom:

In the desert prepare the way of the LORD!
Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!
Every valley shall be filled in,
every mountain and hill shall be made low;
the rugged land shall be made a plain,
the rough country, a broad valley.
Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
and all people shall see it together;
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

During Advent, we await the coming of the Messiah in our lives. This is not a passive kind of waiting. It is an active and dynamic anticipation of the coming of the Messiah. Even as we wait for the coming of God’s Kingdom, we do what we can in our daily lives to prepare for the coming of that Kingdom. As we contemplate the vision of God’s Kingdom, we slowly make it a reality in our everyday undertakings. My favorite spiritual writer, Henri Nouwen, shares how we can do this:

Every time we forgive our neighbor,
every time we make a child smile,
every time we show compassion to a suffering person,
every time we arrange a bouquet of flowers, offer care to tame or wild animals,
prevent pollution,
create beauty in our homes and gardens,
and work for peace and justice among peoples and nations,
we are making the vision come true.

This is my prayer during this Advent Season.

Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
~ Psalm 80

As they were coming down from the mountain,
the disciples asked Jesus,
“Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
He said in reply, “Elijah will indeed come and restore all things;
but I tell you that Elijah has already come,
and they did not recognize him but did to him whatever they pleased.
So also will the Son of Man suffer at their hands.”
Then the disciples understood
that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.
Matthew 17:10-13

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Mary For You

Posted on December 12, 2014 by Spirit Moments

Mothers have a sensitivity and instincts that fathers often lack. Ima knew when I was hurting, she knew where I was hurting and she knew exactly what to do to take away the hurt. I knew she was proud of me; even if she did not say it in so many words. I loved bringing my friends home to show off my mother. She knew what to say, what to serve and what to do to make them feel at home even on their first visit and for them to want to visit again.

A mother’s heart is made to love. A father’s heart is made to create. A mother’s heart sees things that a father’s heart misses. Even as Mary pondered the things happening around her in her heart, seeing the hand of the Almighty; yet Joseph had his misgivings. Elizabeth was overjoyed at the gifts she and her cousin Mary have received from the Most High; yet Zechariah was baffles and struck dumb. Through all the unsettling events swirling around her, Mary remained our paragon of faith with her simple ‘Fiat’.

Marian devotion has always been a hallmark of Catholic spirituality. It is so strong and pervasive, our Christian brothers have often tagged our devotion to Mary as bordering on idolatry. She adds a dimension to our faith that otherwise would not be there. Pope Francis himself had spoken of the need to further develop a theology of the feminine. This is what our devotion to Mary teaches us.

In the Philippines, every region has a favorite image of Mother Mary. One of the things that moved me when we moved to the US is the powerful devotion of the Latino community to our Lady of Guadalupe, whose feast day it is today.

Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
“Most blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled.”
And Mary said:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.”
Luke 1:39-47

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