Keeping the Devil Away With a Simple Life

Posted on October 21, 2014 by Spirit Moments

The devil is a very wily adversary. After all, he has had millennia of experience tempting people versus my few years of fighting it. But his common ruse is to present something bad as good, true, or beautiful.

Hardly anyone will take the life of another person. But the devil has a way of making people believe that that is a good thing to do. Like, most people will not willfully harm or cause pain or suffering to another. But there have been times, I have done so in the guise of teaching the other person a lesson or letting justice to be served or just having a little fun.

In my younger years, the devil would present me with a panoply of very good choices and in the end I find that with my flitting from one good thing to another, I have ended up not doing anything at all. When I am immersed in doing good and serving others, then I get distracted by how good it is to spend time in prayer and I might go off and do so stopping whatever the good I was doing. Or, I might be engrossed in prayer and I suddenly remember I promised to do something good for a friend or family. I leave my prayer and hie off to another distraction.

Today, the devil come sin the guise of all the good memories that I have been blessed with. I remember my good old days and miss all the good things I was doing then. I have kept my life style today simple, humble and small. Then, I begin missing my glory days. If I don’t watch out, I soon find myself wallowing in bitterness, regrets and self-pity.

Today, I spend most of my time waiting: waiting for the next simple thing to do, waiting for the small things to accomplish, waiting for the humble chores through which I can serve others, and waiting for the Lord to come. Meantime as I spend time in silent prayer and solitary meditation, “whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honorable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, I think on these things.”

It is a simple and humble life. But I walk my paths these days with peace and equanimity for the Master may come anytime now and I will be ready with my lamp burning to meet Him.

The Lord speaks of peace to his people.
~ Psalm 85

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Gird your loins and light your lamps
and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding,
ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.
Blessed are those servants
whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.
Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself,
have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them.
And should he come in the second or third watch
and find them prepared in this way,
blessed are those servants.”
Luke 12:35-38

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Life Does Not Consist of Possessions

Posted on October 20, 2014 by Spirit Moments

The most difficult thing getting used to when I went into retirement was the lose of income. There were times in my younger years that I used to measure my self-worth in terms of the income I made or how my income was compared to others doing similar work as I did. It was unnerving waking up one morning and realizing i was no longer earning. Though we have set aside a good portion of what we earned so Anabelle and I would have something for our old age; I now realize that as we go deeper into our senior years, it is the love and relationships we have stored over the years that will tide us over and into the next level.

I still long for the days when I could touch the lives of people and make their situation in life better. Today, I help prepare Jonathan and Jane for the time when they will take wings themselves by providing them with solid roots to keep them strong for their future flight.

I sometimes reminisce the times I wrote strategic plans or policy papers to guide the corporations or institutions I worked with.  Today, I write my daily reflections, share them with whoever would read them and hopefully spark a thought or an insight that would guide some soul out of the darkness or the pain; or ignite an inspiration that would bring more joy and appreciation in someone’s life.

I miss the days I would go on business travels, meet important people, stay and dine in fancy places and be impressed by new sights and sounds. And then, even get paid while enjoying these things. Today, Anabelle and I would wake up early some mornings and go and take a walk into the woods, hike the mountains, or stroll by the sea. We soak in the beauty of nature and feel God’s presence walking with us. We do not get paid doing these but neither do we have to spend.

I do not really miss the big parties and gatherings that used to be part of our lives in the past. But the friends we made in those days have stayed in our hearts. We will always make time to go out and meet friends who are anywhere near our neck of the woods. Senior moments notwithstanding, we try to fondly remember them on their important dates and drop them a line or two.

These are simple and small things compared to that things we used to do. For the most part, money nor possessions do not come into consideration. But Anabelle and I feel rich beyond measure. We can live with a lot less than we have been used to and everything we have we are ready to share and finally leave behind to our loved ones.

The Lord made us, we belong to him.
~Psalm 100

Jesus said to the crowd,
“Take care to guard against all greed,
for though one may be rich,
one’s life does not consist of possessions.”
Then he told them a parable.
“There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest.
He asked himself, ‘What shall I do,
for I do not have space to store my harvest?’
And he said, ‘This is what I shall do:
I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones.
There I shall store all my grain and other goods
and I shall say to myself, “Now as for you,
you have so many good things stored up for many years,
rest, eat, drink, be merry!”’
But God said to him,
‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you;
and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?’
Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself
but is not rich in what matters to God.
Luke 12:15-21

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Renderings

Posted on October 18, 2014 by Spirit Moments

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Had God chosen to be a powerful king or a mighty general when He decided to become man, He could have just made everyone His subject by a simple decree or fiat. Kings and generals come and go but still life goes on.

Had God chosen to be a great scientist or a prolific inventor when He became a man, he could have just invented for us everything we needed to make life nice and east. Scientists and inventors come and go but still life goes on.

Had God chosen to be a wealthy philanthropist or a successful entrepreneur when He became a man, he could have just given everyone a job for people to have a happy life. But businessmen and entrepreneurs are a recent phenomenon and life went on even without them before.

Had God chosen to be a wise president or a brilliant prime minister when He became man, he could just have just establish a just and perfect society for people to have peace and harmony. But politicians come and go and still life goes on.

Instead God became like us in our ordinariness and joined us in the mundaneness of our existence. Not everyone can be a general but everyone feels fear and experiences violence in their lives. Not everyone can be a scientist but everyone can experience the feeling of exhilaration that comes with discoveries. Not everyone can be an entrepreneur but everyone has a taste of how it is to sweat one’s brows that he might eat. Not everyone can be a president but everyone knows that a society cannot function unless there are effective leaders to guide and inspire people.

Beyond the wars and the discoveries, beyond business and government, men have to go through their ordinary and simple lives. And that is where God touches us the most – when we work, when we strive, when we struggle and yes when we play in our everyday lives. Give to the presidents and the generals and the scientists what is theirs to accomplish and do. But turn to God for those thing that only He can do.

Give the Lord glory and honor.
~ Psalm 96

Pharisees went off
and plotted how they might entrap Jesus in speech.
They sent their disciples to him, with the Herodians, saying,
“Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man
and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.
And you are not concerned with anyone’s opinion,
for you do not regard a person’s status.
Tell us, then, what is your opinion:
Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?”
Knowing their malice, Jesus said,
“Why are you testing me, you hypocrites?
Show me the coin that pays the census tax.”
Then they handed him the Roman coin.
He said to them, “Whose image is this and whose inscription?”
They replied, “Caesar’s.”
At that he said to them,
“Then render to Caesar what belongs to Caesar
and to God what belongs to God.”
Matthew 22:15-21

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Life is a Spiral and an Echo

Posted on October 18, 2014 by Spirit Moments

One of the reasons Facebook can become so addicting is that it gives you more of what you want, or of sites you visit often, or things you write about most of the time. So, if you like sports or the movies, you get more feeds about sports and the movies. If you like posts about politics or the economy, the Facebook algorithm will detect this and feed you more stories about politics and the economy. If you like inspiring and humorous stories, Facebook will send more of these to your wall. If you post dark and depressing comments often, you will also get more of these.

I am recognizing two lessons here. First, life is an outward spiral. Everything begins from within and moves ever outward. What people see in me is often a reflection of what is deep and true within me. If my heart boils with hatred and anger, I will always act obnoxiously, often without me even realizing it. If my heart is filled with joy and happiness, this will manifest in my words and my actions. It is only from the abundance of what is inside me that I can truly give and share with others.

Second, life is an echo. What I give and share is what I usually get back in return. If I give love and service to others, I will receive these back many times over. If I give negative vibes, these will come to me in many and different ways.

I can choose what to keep within me and deep within my heart. I can choose what I share and give to others, giving them what is best in me and just keeping for myself that which still needs fixing. Christ was no philanthropist who came to dispense billions to the poor. He gave what He was, what lived deep within Him – a burning unconditional love for us.I can’t go wrong proclaiming and living this commandment of love.

Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
~ Psalm 145

Jesus said to his disciples,
“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.
Go on your way;
behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.
Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals;
and greet no one along the way.
Into whatever house you enter,
first say, ‘Peace to this household.’” 
Luke 10:2-5

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Good Days, Bad Days

Posted on October 17, 2014 by Spirit Moments

What a miserable life it must be to wake up to the same pain and misery everyday. I think of cancer patients going through constant and unceasing pain till their dying day. Or, those living in abject poverty with no relief in sight from difficulty and deprivation. Yet, even such people have moments and even days of light and laughter. And I have found them to be generally stronger in character and of joyful spirit.

And on the other hand, how boring a life must be when one has the same joys and pleasures day after day. I think of hedonistic people for whom life is a round of one party after another party. I think of those who have everything one can imagine, nothing excites or pleases them anymore. These are people whose spirits are brittle and easily broken.

Yes, life is mixture of joys and sorrows, an endless cycle of pleasure and pain, a rhythmic cadence of laughter and tears. There will be good days and there will be bad days. I think the challenge for me is to keep my head even when everything around me would tend to make me lose it. I love this poem I learned and memorized in my youth:

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too:
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;
~ from “If” by Rudyard Kipling

Jesus warned me of such eventualities. There will be good days and there will be bad days. There will be people who will bring me good days. And there will be people who would love nothing more than to make my day go bad. And He has these simple yet reassuring words for me: “Do not be afraid.”

Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
~ Psalm 33

Jesus said to his disciples:
“I tell you, my friends,
do not be afraid of those who kill the body
but after that can do no more.
I shall show you whom to fear.
Be afraid of the one who after killing
has the power to cast into Gehenna;
yes, I tell you, be afraid of that one.
Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins?
Yet not one of them has escaped the notice of God.
Even the hairs of your head have all been counted.
Do not be afraid.
You are worth more than many sparrows.”
Luke 12:4–7

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Harsh Words that Hurt

Posted on October 16, 2014 by Spirit Moments

For all His tenderness, comforting words and inspiring stories, Jesus also had some scathing words and choice epithets for the authorities, specially the High Priests, the Scribes and the Pharisees. Like “You whitened sepulchers!” “Hypocrites!” “Fools!” “You brood of vipers!” In the end, these stinging remarks were to be His undoing, prompting these people to plot His death.

In my younger days, I fancied myself doing a Jesus, railing against corruption, oppression and social injustice, calling a spade a spade and even using some choice epithets as Jesus did. I wanted to be a revolutionary and a firebrand out to condemn the evil-doers to bring about radical change in society.

Age had definitely mellowed me. Today I’d rather hold back on that caustic remark than hurt people. I’d rather lose an argument rather than lose a friend or strain a relationship. I am not always successful and I still hurt people I love with my sharp remarks. And then it would usually hurt me more than the other person.

As I grow older too, I am all too aware of my own failings and shortcomings. I hesitate to call out others’ missteps, afraid that they might also call out mine. And that would be indeed painful. So, for the most part, I usually just bite my tongue and keep my peace. I will leave the judgements and the condemnations for the Lord to give. And as for me, Let me just give blessings and benedictions, and not curses and blame.

The Lord has made known his salvation.
~ Psalm 98

Jesus left, the scribes and Pharisees
began to act with hostility toward him
and to interrogate him about many things,
for they were plotting to catch him at something he might say.
Luke 11:47-54

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Beyond the Senses

Posted on October 15, 2014 by Spirit Moments

One of the side effects of today’s scientific bias is a strong tendency to glorify the senses and what can be perceived by them. Often this leads to sheer pleasure seeking activities. There are eye candies to pleasure the sense of sight but without any real meaning, ear candy to delight the sense of hearing but intellectually unchallenging, candies and junk food to tickle the palate but without any real nutritional value. Eventually, this leads to a consumerist attitude that would extol appearances and externalities without concern for substance and significance.

But there is more to life than what can be perceived by the senses. I can close my eyes and still see things. In fact, I may even see them for what they really are. I can shut off my ears and still hear melodies that are soul-stirring and voices that are life-changing. Even science acknowledges that in the vastness of the universe there is more we cannot sense than what we can sense. Scientists say that ninety five percent of the universe is made up invisible matter and invisible energy, both beyond the pale of the senses.

I am heavily depended on my senses in my everyday life. Without them, I will not be able to function. But I also need to remind myself constantly that I am more than what is visible and palpable to my senses. There is a deeper reality in me and in my life that makes my life fuller and richer and that are beyond what my senses can tell me. Prayer time is when I shut off my senses and come in contact with this deeper reality within me.

Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
~ Psalm 1

The Lord said:
“Woe to you Pharisees!
You pay tithes of mint and of rue and of every garden herb,
but you pay no attention to judgment and to love for God.
These you should have done, without overlooking the others.
Woe to you Pharisees!
You love the seat of honor in synagogues
and greetings in marketplaces.
Woe to you!
You are like unseen graves over which people unknowingly walk.”
Luke 11:42-44

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Life is for the Giving, not the Keeping

Posted on October 14, 2014 by Spirit Moments

Looking out to nature and seeing all that beauty and grandeur always amazes me and fill  me with unspeakable wonderment. Looking outward fills me with awesome. I look inward and I see something equally as awesome. I look out on a clear night sky and I see billions of stars twinkling in the heavens. I look inside me and I see the brilliance of my ming being fired by the synapses of the billions of neurons in my brain. I look out at the beauty of the earth, a pale blue dot from outer space because of the fact that her surface is three fourths water. I appreciate the beauty and design of my body and I realize I too am three fourths water. There is a certain rhythm, a certain beat that pulsates throughout the universe keeping planets and comets in their orbits and the stars and the galaxies in their trajectories. It is the same rhythm and beat that pulses through my being keeping me alive, from the beating of my heart to the rhythm of my breathing.

As in the heavens, so on earth. As on earth, so deep in my being. As the flower gives color and fragrance to the beauty around, so am I here to give color and fragrance to the lives I come in contact with. As plants and trees give food and sustenance to humans and animals, so must I give life and nurturing to all living things around me. And just as the sun and the stars give light and energy to everything near them, so must I give to others so that they may have light and energy. In the end, I know that my life is not about what I have received or gathered and kept. It is about what I have given and shared.

Let your mercy come to me, O LORD.
~ Psalm 119

Jesus had spoken,
a Pharisee invited him to dine at his home.
He entered and reclined at table to eat.
The Pharisee was amazed to see
that he did not observe the prescribed washing before the meal.
The Lord said to him, “Oh you Pharisees!
Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish,
inside you are filled with plunder and evil.
You fools!
Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside?
But as to what is within, give alms,
and behold, everything will be clean for you.”
Luke 11:37-41

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Pray and Work

Posted on October 13, 2014 by Spirit Moments

It is often very discouraging to see how bad people seem to be so successful and the good ones seem to be forever stuck in failures or mediocrity. I become even more disheartened by how good people are long on good intentions and inspiring words but short on actions and accomplishments. Like, I have been very disappointed by how Cory and Noynoy have assumed the presidency on a tsunami of goodwill and on very high moral grounds but have failed to deliver what a good president is supposed to do for the nation.

There are instances where good people seem to wallow in mediocrity or even passive resignation as long as they feel good about their good intentions. Following the old spiritual adage, they pray as if everything depended on God and work as if everything depended on you. The problem is that the prayer part is done with great zeal and then the work part is forgotten, leaving and expecting God to do everything.  Prayer and work must go together. The Benedictine formula has always been: Ora et labora.

Blessed be the name of the Lord forever.
~ Psalm 113

When the crowds were increasing, Jesus began to say,
“This generation is an evil generation;
it asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it
except the sign of Jonah.
For just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh,
so the Son of Man will be to this generation.”
Luke 11:29-30

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Reasons and Alibis

Posted on October 12, 2014 by Spirit Moments

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Kung gusto may paraan.
Kung ayaw may dahilan.

To one who is willing to go, there will always be a way.
To one who won’t, there is always be an alibi to stay.

People who are driven and motivated will always find a way to achieve and attain their goals and get what they want.  They are deaf to people who would say it is impossible. They are blind to the obstacles and difficulties that come their way. In fact, these often only serve to firm up their determination.

But when people do not want to do something, they can be very creative in coming up with all sorts of excuses and alibis for not doing it. Children are particularly brilliant at this. Jonathan has to be constantly reminded to do his homework. One time, I peeked into his room and he was watching video even though he had his books opened in front of him. When I reminded him to finish his homework first, he reasoned, “Lolo, I am a multi-tasker.” I smiled and walked away. And true enough, he had to wake up early the next day to finish his assignments. Another time, Anabelle was the one who reminded him and Jonathan went, “Lola, you spoil my focus and concentration every time you pop into my room like that.”

Sometimes, I imagine how life could be much simpler and easier if we had no choices, if we just plainly lived by instincts alone. Come autumn and the leaves start falling, no if and no buts. Come the cold winter and the birds simply fly south, no excuses and no alibis. Come spring and the leaves come back and the flowers bloom, not any later nor any sooner. And when summer comes, the hot winds blow and everything just grows and grows.

But to be human is to have choices. A banquet is a nice event to go to; but we can come up with other choices for which we would be willing to forego the banquet. We may even choose to go hungry for something better we could get in return. The challenge is how to consistently make the right choices. I have the gift of self-awareness that helps me discover what my choices are and which ones are best for me. I have the gift of conscience that tells me which choices I can live by and which ones will haunt me for days or even for the rest of my life. I have the gift of imagination that helps create new options and possibilities and therefore new choices. I have a will that enables me to say YES to what is good, true and beautiful and to say NO to what is not. Finally, there is a Presence that guides and directs me on my way all the days of my life.

I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.

~ Psalm 23

Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priests and elders of the people
in parables, saying,
“The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king
who gave a wedding feast for his son.
He dispatched his servants
to summon the invited guests to the feast,
but they refused to come.
A second time he sent other servants, saying,
‘Tell those invited: “Behold, I have prepared my banquet,
my calves and fattened cattle are killed,
and everything is ready; come to the feast.”’
Some ignored the invitation and went away,
one to his farm, another to his business.
The rest laid hold of his servants,
mistreated them, and killed them.
Matthew 22:1-6

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