My Faith Today

Posted on July 3, 2014 by Spirit Moments

Modern man is a worshiper of certainty. He places his trust in reason more than anything else. And math and science are reason’s essential implements and resources. What does not stand to reason is not true. And what cannot be proven by science does not exist. And anything that exists can be reduced or expressed with certitude in a mathematical formula. Much of today’s thinking is based on Aristotelian logic and Aristotle’s theory of the syllogism: All men are rational animals. I am a man. Therefore, I am a rational animal. By extension, if I am a rational animal, then I am not an irrational animal. If I am here, I cannot be there. If I am white, I am not black.

And yet many things in ordinary life flies in the face of this rational approach. There are certain things that cannot be explained by science or math. One and one is not always two. It can be four or even more. Science has led to the conclusion that parallel universes and dark matter exist. And yet, science cannot prove their existence.

And reason and science are totally at a loss in explaining the paradoxes in daily life. There is both good and evil in me. It is in my emptiness that I realize the abundance in my life. It is in my deepest sorrows that I discover my most intense joys. There is a longing in me that is bigger than my present moment. There is no rational explanation to the kindness and generosity of people who give without counting the cost or expecting a reward. There is no mathematical explanation how good things and resources are multiplied where these are shared in love; or how troubles and problems are divided and eventually dissipated when shared with people we love.

I cannot rationally explain why I would believe in a God who personally cares for me. Yet, I know in my heat of hearts that he has been there all my life, He is here with me right now and I will spend an eternity with Him in the future.

Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.

Now a week later his disciples were again inside
and Thomas was with them.
Jesus came, although the doors were locked,
and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands,
and bring your hand and put it into my side,
and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”
Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”
John 20:26–29

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Change Means Getting Uncomfortable

Posted on July 2, 2014 by Spirit Moments

Changes always stir us out of our comfort zones. Some times our comfort zones become so familiar and comfortable, we do not recognize that things and times, they are a-changing. It is said that get a frog comfortable in a cauldron of water and then bring the water to a slow boil. The frog would rather stay put and slowly boil to death rather than jump out, which it could easily do.

The Israelites were comfortable in their hovels in Egypt, even if they knew they were slaves. When faced with the hardships and difficulties of their wandering in the desert, they complained to Moses. They’d rather live as slaves in the comforts of Egypt rather than live as free men in the wilderness that is the desert.

While Christ offered words of wisdom and hope to many; He also made many people uncomfortable during His times. He shook people out of their comfort zones. The religious leaders wanted Him dead because He exposed them for the hypocrites that they were. Some towns and communities barred Him because they would rather remain undisturbed rather than listen to His message of hope and love. For the latter would have entailed changing their lives as He called them to repentance and turning away from their sinful ways.

I long for balance and equilibrium in my life. But too long in such a state will eventually lead me to complacency and mediocrity. Stagnant water becomes stale and sooner or later turbid. To keep water fresh, there should be constant motion and flow. Such is the law or nature. Such is the way of the Spirit.

To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

The swineherds ran off, and on going into the town, they told the whole story about what had happened to the demoniacs. Then the whole town came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their neighborhood.
Matthew 8:28–34

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Fears and Anxieties

Posted on July 1, 2014 by Spirit Moments

What are the storms in my life that keep me terrified?
What are my fears and anxieties?

As a child, I used to be afraid of the dark.
You could never send me alone into a dark room or a dark place.
I was afraid there would be ghosts or monsters who would do me harm.
Soon enough, I learned ghosts are exactly that –
ghosts, mere chimera of my wild imagination.
From then on, I was never afraid of the dark.
There are times I even welcome and long for it.

I was afraid of failure and rejection.
I was afraid I was never good enough for other people to love or to even just like me.
I was afraid of being excluded from groups I wanted to be a part of.
I was afraid that people I liked would not like me in return.
It took me longer
(and the fear and anxiety of rejection does come back every now and then)
to realize that these fears of failure and rejections are also mere ghosts.
I have learned that people who really matter in my life
will like and love me for what and who I am – warts and all.
That was a most liberating realization.
And those who would reject me anyway,
I have realized I can live without them in my life.

I was afraid of pain and suffering, of getting hurt or being harmed.
I was afraid of physical harm, psychological pain and spiritual suffering.
And most of all, I was afraid of these pains and sufferings
coming into the lives of people I love.
I would do everything to shelter and protect them from these.
But then, what really is pain and suffering?
There is no pain or suffering that cannot be relieved or healed.
And pain and suffering that cannot be healed or relieved will soon pass away.
And what does not pass away, I have learned to adapt to
and these have served to make me stronger.
And why deny my loved ones of pain and suffering when these could teach
them lessons I could never teach them through my words?

I still sometimes get afraid of going hungry.
But then, there were days in the past I had less food than I do now;
and yet I was no less happy then.
I am still afraid of ending up in the poor house, living in penury and poverty.
But then, I have gone through days when I had but a fraction of the resources I have today.
I have done it in the past, I can do it again in the future –
that is, to live a poor man’s life.
I still am afraid of dying, not of death.
I am afraid to be a burden to people I love during my last days.
I am afraid of the pain I might not be able to endure.
I am afraid of the suffering that would be inflicted on me
and I might inflict on others.
But then again, there are mere ghosts in my mind.

I should only be afraid of not loving enough
even when there is still an ounce of love in me to give.
I should only be afraid of not giving more
even when I have but a handful left to give.
I should only be afraid of not being grateful
for all the untold blessings that I have enjoyed in my life.
I should only be afraid that I should fail to smile
for all the beauty and goodness around me.
I should only be afraid that I fail to follow the light or heed that call
that have beckoned me all my life.

Lead me in your justice, Lord.

As Jesus got into a boat, his disciples followed him.
Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea,
so that the boat was being swamped by waves;
but he was asleep.
They came and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”
He said to them, “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?”
Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was great calm.
The men were amazed and said, “What sort of man is this,
whom even the winds and the sea obey?”
Matthew 8:23–27

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The Best Years of My Life

Posted on June 30, 2014 by Spirit Moments

My generation has officially entered Old Age. We are slowly but surely moving into retirement. Gone are the days of the crazy pursuit of success, the hectic busy-ness of carving a career, the frantic struggles to find and keep employment. Gone too are the days when I had a long to-do list, when I had to work literally half day – from seven in the morning till seven in the evening, for days on end. Gone are the certainties and the answers of youth. Instead there are now the doubts and anxieties of old age. Many of my generation feel that they have had the best years of their lives. I feel that my best years are yet to come.

In my youth, I saw my life as a river, relentlessly flowing towards the sea. Most days are calm and the river gently flows on. But there are times the rivers is a wild torrent of rampaging rapids. There are times when the waters overflow and flood the the banks. These days, my life is more like a serene pond, with the waters still and refreshing. Sometimes a pebble is thrown and the ripples it creates moves across slowly across the entire pond. And yet, the pond is full of life and beauty. Birds and bugs fly all around it. Frogs and fishes find a home in the fresh clean waters. Flowers and fronds line the fringes and some grow out of the floor of the pond. A river runs until it reaches the sea. A pond waits patiently.

In youth, I had all the answers. And that gave me a sense of certainty. Even when I had no clear answer, I tried to act confidently. Now that I am old, I have come to doubt man of my old certainties, like do the things I do really matter? And yet, in my old age with my doubts and questions, I have learned to be more humble, more tolerant and more accepting of the beauty and goodness that comes to me. The answers in my youth made me smarter and gave me confidence. The questions in my old age are making me wiser and more at peace with myself and the world around me.

So, have I seen the the best years of my life? No, I really believe the best years are yet to come. I still want to experience what it means to have nowhere to rest my head. I Still want to live life without having to worry about burying the dead. And it is up to me to make these happen.

Remember this, you who never think of God.

When Jesus saw a crowd around him,
he gave orders to cross to the other shore.
A scribe approached and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”
Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests,
but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.”
Another of his disciples said to him, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.”
But Jesus answered him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead.”
Matthew 8:18-22

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Beauty and Goodness

Posted on June 30, 2014 by Spirit Moments

Image

A fisherman, simple and weather-beaten, known for his doting mother-in-law
He is mending his nets and a man comes along and tells him to follow.
The fisherman drops everything and to the call he does hearken
And he follows the man who would make him a fisher of men.

A brash young man, extremely devoted to his forefathers’ religion,
Listens to his conscience and vows the total annihilation
Of those who would desecrate what their ancestors believed of old
Until, on his way to Damascus, he was struck down blind and cold.

A purple rose, not an ordinary flower, will bring delight to any viewer.
It may sit hidden and alone, even unnoticed in an ordinary bower
Yet it adds unspeakable beauty and unmatched color to the scenery
By just being itself and being there for everybody and anybody.

A little girl, with her songs and dances, grows up with nary a care.
The world moves along and does not even notice that she is there.
But the girl will give birth to a son and the son will grow
To teach the world and everyone what it is they are longing to know.

Thus, God changes the world by working with the poor and the weak.
In fact, He made everything there is out of nothing with but a single tweak.
He who writes straight with the crookedest of lines
Is the same Power who brings our lives into interconnected twines.

Let my soul glory in the LORD; the lowly will hear me and be glad.

He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter said in reply,
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.
And so I say to you, you are Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my Church,
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
Matthew 16:13-19

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The Heart of a Mother

Posted on June 28, 2014 by Spirit Moments

Yesterday was the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, whose love is so strong He would lay down His life for His friends. Today is the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, whose love nurtured Jesus from His birth as He grew up in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man.

Our first intimations of what love is the love of our mothers. We spend the first nine months of our existence in her womb. The first sound we recognize is the sound of her heartbeat: constant and reassuring. The first nourishment we received was her blood: nurturing and life-giving. And when we were born, we sucked at her breasts for milk that is complete nutrition and full of sweetness and sustenance. The bond that ties us to our mothers from our first moments s a bond that shall never be broken throughout our lives. In our joys, we run to mother to make her proud of us. In our sorrows, we cling to her for comfort and protection as even just her touch, her kiss can take the pain away.

Mothers are nurturing by nature. No wonder then that we call nature and our planet Mother Earth; for from her we get our life and our sustenance. No wonder then that we also call the church our Holy Mother, the Church; for from her we learn the guidance and the lessons we need for life. And if we call God our Father because His love is strong and dependable, should we not also call Her Mother because Her love for us is gentle and ever-reassuring?

The love of a mother, like that of God, often baffles and mystifies. A mother’s favorite is not always the strongest nor the brightest of her children. It is often the weakest or the smallest one. The natural tendency of all life is self-preservation. A mother will think nothing of putting herself at risk for the sake of her children. Between herself or her children going hungry, she’d rather die than let her children die of hunger.  No cold is so strong that cannot be warmed by a mother’s hug and embrace. No heat is so intense that cannot be cooled down by a mother’s caress. No pain is so intense that cannot be relieved by a mother’s kiss. Aren’t the ways of a mother so much like the ways of God?

Lord, forget not the souls of your poor ones.

After three days they found him in the temple,
sitting in the midst of the teachers,
listening to them and asking them questions,
and all who heard him were astounded
at his understanding and his answers.
When his parents saw him, they were astonished,
and his mother said to him,
“Son, why have you done this to us?
Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.”
And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me?
Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
But they did not understand what he said to them.
He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them;
and his mother kept all these things in her heart.
Luke 2:46-51

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The Heart as Core

Posted on June 27, 2014 by Spirit Moments

Functionally, the heart is no more than an organ designed to pump blood throughout the whole body. No more, no less. It does not create blood. That is the function of the bone marrow. The heart does not even cleanse the blood. That is the work of the lungs through oxygenation. And yet, the heart has been romanticized as the core of our being, the center of who we are and the source of all the goodness that is in man.

I remember the first stirrings of adolescent love in me. Its main manifestation were the faster and stronger heart beats I felt on seeing my crush. Is it any wonder then that I would equate falling in love as function of the heart? Whenever I did something good or something that made my parents proud, I felt a certain warmth and glow radiating from my center. Whenever I thought of doing something good or great, it seemed to emanate from this core and center of my being. It is significant that the heart is located at the physical center of my physical body. My heart is physically, functionally and symbolically the core of my being.

All in all, these thoughts intimate to me that I am more than the sum of my body parts. The brain is where thoughts and emotions take place. Yet, in common everyday language, the brain is seen as the seat of reason and the heart is source of emotions. Man usually bases his decisions on whether it stands to reason or because of his emotions. Often we use reason to reach a decision. But there are also many instances where the heart trumps reason because “the heart has its reasons that reason does not comprehend.” There are also instances where man acts purely out of his guts or his instincts.

All of these experiences tell me that beyond all the functioning of my body and its different parts, there is still a big part of me that is and exists. It is that part of me that wants to do good for myself and for others, the part that seeks and sees beauty in the wonders around me and in the people who come into my life, the part that quests and searches for the truth of who I am and why I am here.

There are times such experiences are exciting and exhilarating. There are times when such experiences are difficult and very challenging. It is this doing, seeking and questing part of me that Jesus addresses when He says the words in today’s Gospel reading – one of my favorites quotes from my earliest days. Yes, the Lord is kind and His kindness is everlasting.

The Lord’s kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.

At that time Jesus exclaimed:
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”
Matthew 11:28-30

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Three Constants in My Ever-changing Life

Posted on June 26, 2014 by Spirit Moments

I knew it to be true in my heart even before I heard it put into words. According to Stephen Covey, there are three constants in life: change, choice and principles.

Life is in a constant flux. It is forever changing. Nothing is permanent. Nothing ever stays the same. Wealth is fleeting. And any pain or suffering sooner or later also goes away. Fame is transitory. The celebrities of yesterday are gone and all but forgotten. Seasons come and go and time moves on relentlessly like a river seeking to reach to the sea. Everything changes all the time.

But in the midst of all the changes, one unchanging constant is my capacity to make a choice. No matter how difficult the situation I may find myself in, I always have a choice. Even in cases when I give up and say “I have no choice”; I still and always have a choice. In fact, to paraphrase Covey,  the ultimate freedom is the right and power to decide how anybody or anything outside myself will affect me.

How do I then constantly exercise my freedom to choose in a world of constant change? By basing my choices on constant and unchanging principles. In good times and in bad times, I will choose what is according to the Principle of Love. In times of plenty and in times of want, I will act according to the Principle of Generosity. In my relationships with others, I shall always be guided by the Principle of Mercy and Forgiveness.

All these principles ultimately come together in their one source: the Ultimate Principle. The Ultimate Principle in not some inanimate self-executing force at work in the universe. The ultimate principle is a person who relates to me in a personal manner. And He has revealed Himself to me, to us. In the fulness of time, He became like one of us and lived among us. Over the ages, in different places and to different people, He has revealed Himself as the God of Love, the God of Generosity, the God of Mercy and Forgiveness.

For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.
And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them
will be like a fool who built his house on sand.
The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”
Matthew 7:24-27

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The Fruits of the Spirit

Posted on June 25, 2014 by Spirit Moments

There is so much evil in the world today masquerading as good. Affluence is held up as the good life and the ultimate purpose of man’s existence. Hedonism and sheer pleasure are portrayed as true happiness and to be enjoyed at all times and at any cost. Vices are portrayed as virtues, like pride is good because it is assertiveness; greed is good because it creates wealth; selfishness is good because it shows one’s strong self-image; hatred and anger give way to wars and genocide carried out in the name of God.

I am most afraid that the good I believe I do is but a mask for the evil that is also in me. Behind my sweet words and the elegance of what I say may be lurking evil desires, bad intentions or malicious deeds I don’t want people to know. Is my goodness but a facade to cover my true evil self? And is my kindness but a thin veneer below which is all rot and corruption?

“By their fruits you will know them.” I must constantly check if the good the I do and the truth I proclaim and the beauty that I celebrate are the fruits of the Spirit. Can I show and give love even in the face of anger and rejection? Or do I love only those who love me? Do I share and bring joy into other people’s lives even when I myself can barely manage to smile because of my own burdens? Or do I destroy the joy in others to get them to join me in my misery? Do I bring peace to those who are disturbed and unsettled even when I myself am struggling to find my own serenity and tranquility? Or do I mask my agitation by being loud, boisterous  and obnoxious? Do I show patience to those who are slow in thought or in action wishing they’d hurry up a bit and quit wasting my time? Do my acts of kindness conceal a hidden agenda? Does my generosity expect something in return? Is my faithfulness only good for fair weather? Is my gentleness a subtle cry for my own self-gratification? Do I exercise self-control?

Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord.

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing,
but underneath are ravenous wolves.
By their fruits you will know them.
Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?
Just so, every good tree bears good fruit,
and a rotten tree bears bad fruit.
A good tree cannot bear bad fruit,
nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit.”
Matthew 7:15-20

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The Afterglow

Posted on June 24, 2014 by Spirit Moments

A tiny seed grows into a tree, giving men their food, clothing and shelter. That is one of the many miracles that happen in our everyday lives. One tiny particle explodes in one big bang and the entire universe we know comes to be, ultimately enabling men to emerge. That is the primary and primeval cosmic miracle. A tiny child child grows up to be a man, changing the world he lives in to make it a better place. That is the miracle of daily changes in our human lives.

Yesterday, being my birthday, I allowed myself to indulge in an ego-trip, relishing the greetings from family and friends and basking in their expressions of affection, admiration and even adulation. On a deeper level, I realized how intertwined and interconnected my life is with people who have touched my life and changed me for the better and with people whose lives I have also touched and hopefully changed for the better. As I was going through all the messages, time and space slowly receded into the background and at some point disappeared. Space did not matter as I heard from loved ones who are miles and miles away. In some indirect yet real manner, I even got in touch with dear departed ones. Time did not matter either as friends from different time periods in my life met in the present moment of my birthday, realizing that they are somehow connected through our common past, common experiences, common friends and loved ones. All through the day, I saw, felt and heard God’s Presence in the intertwining of our lives and our loves.

We are all wonderfully made. Everything is wonderfully made. Who would think a lovely and beautiful tree would emerge from a tiny seed? Who would ever think that this awesome universe would come from a tiny spark? Who would say what or who a tine child would be or become until he has fully grown into a man and lived out the life God had designed for him? Indeed, who can fathom or even imagine what God has in store for each one of us? I’d say, “I will dream of the most outrageously wonderful dream I can imagine for God will surely have something even better and bigger than my wildest imaginings.”

I praise you, O Lord, for I am wonderfully made.

All were amazed.
Then fear came upon all their neighbors,
and all these matters were discussed
throughout the hill country of Judea.
All who heard these things took them to heart, saying,
“What, then, will this child be?”
For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.
The child grew and became strong in spirit,
and he was in the desert until the day
of his manifestation to Israel.
Luke 1:59-66

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