Faith in the Secular City

Posted on September 1, 2014 by Spirit Moments

In our highly secularized world, there is an increasing number of non-believers. But there is still a widespread belief in the existence of God. About two thirds of humanity believe in some form of a deity.  And the fact is that the poor are more likely to believe in God than those living in more affluent societies. The poor and the oppressed, heavily burdened by the travails of their lives, often turn to religion for comfort and deliverance from their misery. They long and hope for the god who would bring glad tidings to the poor, proclaim liberty to the captives, and libration for the oppressed. Thus, Marx would declare religion as the opium of the people and the modern-day secularist would dismiss such beliefs as mere superstitions.

There is indeed something about affluence and achievements that tend to deaden one’s sense of the sacred and the divine. If one can secure his physical comfort and material ease by his own efforts, it is more difficult to find space for someone called ‘God’ in one’s life. If one finds confidence and self-sufficiency in one’s achievements,  then there is no real need to invoke some unseen powers to help one in his quest for achievements. In the end, man is his own god.

Still, in many serious discussions today, faith in God remains to be a constructive force for good and can have a positive influence in promoting social change, specially on a global scale. In the bigger scheme of things, man remains inadequate and indeed poor in facing up to the challenges of life and its myriad problems, including those created by men themselves. Why have wars and conflicts remained with us throughout human history? Because we have been poor at being brothers and neighbors to one another. We are in need of deliverance from ourselves and this deliverance can come only from outside humanity. Why are there still billions going hungry and naked when we have the resources to feed and clothe everyone? Because we are so poor in learning how to truly care and share. We need redemption from our greed and selfishness that can only come from Someone who is willing to give and share even to the point of emptying Himself.

One a personal basis, there are people who have endeared themselves to me and for whom I would gladly give my life. I did not ask for them nor really sought them out. Somehow they came into my life or I came into theirs. There are times I want to go on doing things for them but my body gives up. I entrust my loved ones instead to my God. There are times when my spirit flags and I get depressed or discouraged I can’t even do things for myself. I entrust myself and my loved ones to God. There are times in my life when reason fails me and I am left with nothing but a voice within that says, “Do not be afraid for I am with you.” He is not the product of my imaginings who I turn to when I come to a dead end. He is Someone who indeed brings into my life glad tidings of joy, sight to my blurred vision of life, liberations from my inadequacies, pains and tribulations. He sets me free from the chains that would tie me down to a senseless existence. I know because, unbelievable it may seem, I have seen Him at work in my life.

Lord, I love your commands.
Psalm 119

Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had grown up,
and went according to his custom
into the synagogue on the sabbath day.
He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah.
He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.”
Luke 4:16–19

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The Fog in San Francisco Bay

Posted on August 31, 2014 by Spirit Moments
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I love the fog specially as it comes in from San Francisco Bay. I find it a refreshing sight and an invigorating experience as it breezes by me. It may seem a very ordinary thing but it is an essential element of the Bay Area ecology. During this time of severe drought in the area, the fog delivers the much needed water to the thirsty land. I was amazed to learn that the famous redwoods along the California coast are water-guzzling behemoths, drinking as much 500 gallons a day, with much of this water soaked in from the fog that comes in from the ocean. Fog may seem gentle as it rolls inland but it can be chilling and often comes in gale-force gusts. Anabelle and I were once on top of the Twin Peaks just as the fog was coming in. I thought we would get blown off the peak as the bone-chilling fog hit us.

And so it is in life. Ordinary everyday events have a lot to teach us. Jane calls Jonathan Kuya, something we taught her from the first moment she could speak. It is a simple and ordinary Filipino word. But that one word carries with it a world of meaning impossible to capture in words. When Jane calls Jonathan Kuya, she gives him her respect and devotion that is better caught than taught. Kuya has the answers for all the questions she cannot answer. It is Kuya who puts together her Lego toys, specially her Hello Kitty collection. Kuya is a constant companion, and always makes her laugh with his silly antics. Oh, they quarrel and bicker often; but she knows Kuya will always be there for her.

And when Jane calls her Kuya, Jonathan is always aware that he is responsible for Jane. He will always look after her. Jane often gets on his nerve but I love to see him drop whatever it is he is doing just to answer Jane’s questions, no mater how inane, or to do something for her like set-up a video game for her. When Jane gets stuck in her homework, Kuya comes to the rescue. There is a special place in Kuya’s heart that is reserved only for Jane and no one else is supposed to reside in there, forever.

And so it is in the things of the spirit. Paradoxically, it is the ordinary events of everyday life that have led me to a deeper spiritual life. Disappointments, pain and suffering are stuff that comes with everyday life. These crosses may be small ones like an appointment that goes awry. Or, they may be big ones, like  losing or getting fired from a job. But these crosses actually are portals that open up to new possibilities or steps that to take me up to the next level.  It is when I cling to things or persons that I tend to lose them. But when I let them be, let go and let God; they linger and stay and become more and better.

Nothing makes me realize better how the ordinary intersects the sublime and the exceptional than when we get together as a family for dinner. Dinner is more than just about the food we share. It is about the love and devotion of Mommy and Daddy bringing home the bacon. In the process, they share stories of their work as teacher and programmer, the frustration and the rewards, the ordinary and the exceptional events at their places of work. Dinner is about Kuya and bunso gleefully telling us something that happened in school, about Curran this and Gabrielle that, about the field trip to the Tech Museum or the new song they learned in class. Dinner is about Lolo and Lola listening in on the side, a quiet presence in the the blossoming of a young family, trying to help make things a little bit easier, a lit bit better.

Just as the fog rolls in from the bay to quench the thirst redwoods, so does the grace of God abide at our dinner table, transforming something ordinary into a sublime and sacred experience.

My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
Psalm 63

Then Jesus told his disciples,
“If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves
and take up their cross and follow me.
For those who want to save their life will lose it,
and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.
For what will it profit them
if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life?
Or what will they give in return for their life?”
Matthew 16:24-26

 
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Life in the Slow Lane

Posted on August 30, 2014 by Spirit Moments

I am aware that it is man’s lot that “by the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.” I have worked long and hard to be where I am today. I have raged and raged against the dying of the light to get things done and bring in the harvest, to bring home the bacon. I have not buried the talents given me but have used them to yield a hundredfold. I am still amazed and feel truly blessed how a small town boy like me would get this far in this world. I have known what it is to live life in the fast lane.

I have been blessed with sufficiency of material possessions, and then some. But I was never really been attached nor even obsessed by them. I probably could have ended with more than what I have but I was never really that interested in accumulating more than what I needed. I was never fixated upon nor did I cling to any position of prestige or power. Whenever it was time to go – whether of my own volition or due to external forces – I never had a problem about moving on. I sometimes would lose it all and I could still pick up the  pieces and get on with my life – happy and meaningful. And through it all, I felt being guided by Someone and I believed I was always where I was meant to be, doing what I was meant to do.

Today, I miss the hustle and bustle of earning a living and pursuing a career. I used to lead and manage hundreds of people. Today, I cannot even lead or manage two hyperactive kids. I used to mobilize and make productive millions in resources. Today, I rarely have more than a few dollars in my pockets. I used to feel important, making decisions that affected many and contributing in a major way to the companies and organizations I worked with. It gave me a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment. Today, everyday seems a monotonous repeat of just another day. This is life in the slow lane, I guess. But I know that I take part in preparing the next, new generation for the future. This is more important than any of the work I have done before for it means continuing and improving the human race into the future.

I have realized that when I tried to cling and be attached to things or persons, I tend to lose them. But when I am open to possibilities, specially considering the fact that others are different from me, I come upon riches that I have not even suspected existed. I merely and completely trust that I am where I am meant to be. I live within the time and space given to me and with the resources at my disposal. I am happy that I have never really wanted for anything that I needed. And then some.

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

Jesus said to His disciples,
“For to everyone who has,
more will be given and he will grow rich;
but from the one who has not,
even what he has will be taken away.”
Matthew 25:29

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Neither the Day nor the Hour

Posted on August 29, 2014 by Spirit Moments

Death eventually comes upon everyone. But death is often feared for it means the end of life. It is a time of sadness for a loved one is no more. It can also be a time of regrets for not having done enough for the person who has passed away. And life – no matter how troubled and miserable, no matter how humble or insignificant – is still better than death.

But is it? As a believer, I profess that I believe in the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. Death is but a portal to the next level of existence, a passage to a fuller life. I imagine a child before being born from her mother. She would loathe to leave the safety and comfort of the womb. The outside world is beyond her comprehension and understanding. Passing through the portal of the womb is a most traumatic experience. And yet it is a necessary step to attain a fuller life. So is death.

How do I prepare for death, since I know not the day nor the hour? I prepare that when I finally have to cross that threshold I will recognize God when I finally meet Him and that he knows me. I do not know what awaits me on the other side of the portal. I might already be in front of my god and not know Him. Or worse, He might say, “Truly I tell you, I do not know you.”

While still on earth, I shall already seek to know Him in the signposts He has placed me in nature and the world around me, through the people that He has blessed my life with and in prayers through which I seek to Him no matter how dimly or inadequately. I remember my mother-in-law, who at the end to a long life, wished for the Lord to take her already. I want to live my life in such a way that I can transition from this life to the next and cross the threshold without missing a step or skipping a beat to the next level of my life.

The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
Psalm 33

Jesus said to his disciples,
“And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came,
and those who were ready
went with him into the wedding banquet;
and the door was shut.
Later the other bridesmaids came also,
saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’
But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’
Keep awake therefore,
for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
Matthew 25:1-13

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Being Ready

Posted on August 28, 2014 by Spirit Moments

If the Lord were to come to me today, would I be ready? This question has usually been taken to describe the moment of my death. When death finally comes, and I know neither the day nor the hour, would I be ready to meet my Creator? This moment of death has often been portrayed as the time of judgement, a time to give an accounting of my life. Because of this, death can be seen as a frightening experience for many. But death can be the supreme moment of excitement. It will be the time when I will finally come face to face with the unseen and abiding Presence who has sustained me in life. I will finally feel His embrace like never before. I will have the answers to all my unanswered and unanswerable questions. All the paradoxes and contradictions in my life will finally be resolved and untangled. I will finally be blessed with my hear’s deepest longings and all my yearnings shall be fulfilled. Yes, I am ready for the coming of the Lord anytime and anyplace. It is with joyful expectation that I await His coming.

But God does not come to me only at the moment of death. He also comes to me daily in my life. And the challenge is not whether I am ready for Him to come but whether I would recognize Him when he does. Do I see God in the ordinariness of my life today? Do I feel His soft caress in the gentle breeze or His power in the wind and thunder? Will I reach out and touch Him in the needy and hungry people I will meet today? Do I see him moving in the events unfolding in the world around me even when things do not seem to make sense? Can I be kinder and gentler to everyone I meet today for God also dwells in them? What would it take for me to constantly recognize God’s presence in my life, in the people around me, in the world, in the unfolding of events in my everyday life?

I pray for wisdom to know the answers to my questions and the strength and courage to do and acct accordingly.

I will praise your name for ever, O Lord.
Psalm 145

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Stay awake!
For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.
Be sure of this:
if the master of the house
had known the hour of night when the thief was coming,
he would have stayed awake
and not let his house be broken into.
So too, you also must be prepared,
for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”
Matthew 24:42–44

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The Giver

Posted on August 27, 2014 by Spirit Moments

Our movie-date last night was The Giver. Men have finally created a utopian society free from wars and violence, where pain and suffering have been eliminated. The members of the communities receive a daily dose of medication that numbs all their ardor and passion. They live their lives in shallow and light emotions. Equality assures everyone gets the same thing everybody else does, eliminating envy, greed and selfishness. Everyone is encouraged to be the same and differences are strongly discouraged. People in this society have surrendered their freedom and capacity to choose to their elders, who decides who gets to be born, who one’s family is, what career one is to pursue. People who are different and do not fit the mold of sameness are released to a place called Elsewhere.

Logic and reason reign supreme in this Utopia with irrational emotions and passions totally suppressed. Yet, just below the surface, there lied simmering in some members uneasy questions of why things are the way they were, what if things were different, what are the stirrings of emotions they were feeling when they surreptitiously skipped their daily dose of medications. On the outside, everything looked perfect “like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of filth” as those who were not different and did not fit the sameness mold were released to Elsewhere.

Take away passions and emotions, even if reason remains, man loses his humanity and is no more than an automaton. Take away his freedom and capacity to choose and you take destroy and do away with man’s nature as a human being and make him one with the rest of other animals. Take away their differences and everyone is but a clone of a human caricature. It is from the messiness of emotions and passions that the most noble and most sublime acts of men come from. It is from man’s complicated capacity to choose that he is able to accomplish his greatest and often impossible to believe feats. It is from our differences that the beauty and joys of living are made possible.

Yet, there will always be those who would simplify the complicated creature that man is and take away all our emotions and feelings, curtail our freedoms and capacity for choice, condemn us all into a sameness that would reduce us to herds to be led by the noses. And the real tragedy of humanity is when such people often end up in positions of power and leadership. And it happens again and again.

Life is complicated and full of contradictions. It is these paradoxes that make life a mystery. it is in this mystery that, if and when we learn to live with it, we come into the wisdom and understanding of the the fullness of life.

Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Psalm 128

Jesus said,
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside,
but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of filth.
Even so, on the outside you appear righteous,
but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and evildoing.”
Matthew 23:27–28

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“What Is Essential Is Invisible To The Eyes”

Posted on August 26, 2014 by Spirit Moments

Many people care a lot about how they look. Billions are spent on products, processes and procedures to alter, improve and enhance the looks and the physique of people. Today, any homely face can be transformed into a comely appearance. A deadbeat body can be made drop dead gorgeous. I get a feeling though that somehow we are missing the point.

Real beauty comes from within. I have been blessed with the love and care of people with homely looks but whose inner beauty transforms their bearing into palpable comeliness. Real goodness radiates from within. I have met and worked with people with forgettable faces but whose goodness is remembered and lingers on for a lifetime. Intelligence and wisdom cannot be determined by the mere physical appearance of a person. I have encountered persons whose appearances do not impress but whose brilliance and intelligence I can still recall.

As embodied consciousness, we are often too enthralled and even fixated on appearances. We often tend to pass judgements of people based on their appearances. But looks can be deceptive. When I think of these things, I always remember the Little Prince, “One sees rightly only with the heart. What is essential is invisible to the eyes.”

The Lord comes to judge the earth.
Psalm 96

Jesus said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You cleanse the outside of cup and dish,
but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence.
Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup,
so that the outside also may be clean.”
Matthew 23:23-26

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Hypocrites

Posted on August 25, 2014 by Spirit Moments

There is often a great disconnect between what people say and what they do. There is a lot of doublespeak, where people say one thing and then do another. People go for politically correct expressions and terminologies, whereby they dissimulate their true meanings and intentions. Militant extremists call on their god of peace and then wage wars on the weak and defenseless. Political leaders proclaim and extol service to the community and then rob the same community of their shared resources. Religious leaders preach about love and then prey on the unsuspecting and the innocent.

There is something about the rarefied air in the heights of power and leadership that warps the mind. People drunk with the power of the gun begin believing that they hold the power of life and death over everyone else. People in the pinnacles of power in government begin believing they are above and beyond the law. People at the peak of church hierarchies begin believing they are exempt from keeping the commandments and heeding the demands of doing good.

It seems to me that the answer to this anomaly is pretty simple: let the last be first and the first be last; let him who would be he leader be the servant of all; let him who exults himself be humbled and he who humbles himself be exulted. Christ and His followers have been teaching these through the centuries. In many instances, they have inspired many to experience integrity and wholeness in their lives. But even among those followers there have been those who engage in doublespeak, saying one thing and doing another. Christ had one harsh word for them: “Hypocrites!”   

Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Psalm 96

Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples:
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You lock the Kingdom of heaven before men.
You do not enter yourselves,
nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You traverse sea and land to make one convert,
and when that happens you make him a child of Gehenna
twice as much as yourselves.”
Matthew 23:13–15

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Making A Difference, One Small Change At A Time

Posted on August 24, 2014 by Spirit Moments

P1070619Two workers at a construction site were asked the same question, “What are you doing here?” One answered, “I am digging a trench and will lay down bricks in it afterwards.” The other one said, “I am helping build a beautiful cathedral.” I have used this story in many a presentation and workshops. I would usually use it as a starting point for discussion, “Who of the two laborers do you think would be doing a better job?”

A difference in perspective can make a world of difference. For as a man thinks, so he acts. There is a more truth than a mere philosophical statement in the Cartesian dictum, “I think; therefore I am.”

I am right now imagining the difference in perspective between one who would kill because of what he believes and another who would be willing to die because of what he believes. I am thinking of James Foley and his executioner. James Foley died a martyr’s death, finding strength and solace in prayers, specially the rosary, during his captivity. I am thinking of the young children who are willing to die and refuse to give us their Christian faith. From the earliest times, the blood of martyrs have watered the seeds of faith.

We live in troubled times. The news carry mostly reports of war and violence in many places, natural calamities and disasters all over the globe, panic and greed in the marketplace, hunger and poverty even in the more affluent countries. We all seem to be living on the edge. What can I do?

I will be kinder and gentler so that there is less hatred and anger int he world. I will live simply so that others may simply live. I will multiply my joys and happiness by sharing what I have. I will share and give not only from what I have in excess but also from what I treasure and cherish for myself. I will add to the light and subtract from the darkness by counting my blessings and being constantly grateful. I will avoid all divisions and exclusions by being open and welcoming of others, specially those who are different from me. I will be a joyful witness to the Good News that I have received, proclaiming that goodness will overcome evil; that love is superior to hate; that light will prevail over darkness; that life is stronger than death.

Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.
Psalm 138

Jesus said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah!
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven.
And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church,
and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.
I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven,
and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven,
and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
Matthew 16:13-20

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Life is One Insoluble Puzzle

Posted on August 23, 2014 by Spirit Moments

We know what is good for us.
These are the deep longings in our hearts.
Love, peace, compassion, brotherhood.
Yet, we end up doing the opposite.
Wars, violence, conquest, oppression.

Many in the West are spurred by greed and selfishness.
Creating wealth and amassing riches
Way beyond their capacity to use them.
In the end, wealth is used for the frivolous and the vacuous.

Muslim militants are driven by anger and hatred.
Seeing Western culture as the work of the devil
Destroying anything that comes from the West but not their weapons of war.
In the name of the god they worship,
They would kill, kidnap and persecute those who believe otherwise.

The emerging tigers of the East are moved by pride and arrogance.
It is all about me-first and looking out for Number One.
They suck the earth resources dry in the drive for materials to feed their factories
To produce cheap goods to sell to the rest of the world.
Often at the expense of human lives and dignity.

Meanwhile, the rest of the world watches in hunger and poverty.
Millions die of diseases for which we have the cure.
Millions more go to bed hungry when there is food rotting in the warehouses of the rich.
And billions lead lives of unrelenting poverty
when billions are being wasted in frivolous and vacuous activities,
billions more are spent in the weapons of war,
and billions worth of wealth is created that does not respect human life and dignity.

And yet we know in our hearts what it would take to heal the world:
Love, kindness, generosity, forgiveness, compassion,
the human race living as one community, in harmony.
We parents often get frustrated when our children do not learn what we teach them.
But it seems we adults are more difficult to teach and to learn
That what we yearn most deeply in our hearts
Is what we need to heal the world.

I will hear what God proclaims; the LORD – for He proclaims peace.
Psalm 85

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples,
“The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat;
therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it;
but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach.
They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear,
and lay them on the shoulders of others;
but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them.
. . .
. . .
The greatest among you will be your servant.
All who exalt themselves will be humbled,
and all who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Matthew 23:1-12

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