Waiting

Posted on November 30, 2013 by Spirit Moments

ImageIn the famous play, Vladimir and Estragon spend days waiting for Godot. They do not know exactly when  he was coming, how he looks like, why he is coming or why they are even waiting for him. They just know they have to wait for Godot. They are not even sure if the place and the time are the right ones where and when to do the waiting. But they after day, they come to the same spot to resume their waiting for Godot. In the end, they realize the meaninglessness and absurdity of what they are doing and decide to commit suicide. But even in that, they fail.

I am also waiting. But unlike Vladimir and Estragon, I know whom I am waiting for and why. I am waiting for the fulfillment of all my hopes. I am longing for the completion of my being. By very soul eagerly awaits like the Psalmist of old, I eagerly watch and await for the coming of the dawn, certain it will come to augur in another day:

I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,
and in his word I put my hope.
I wait for the Lord
more than watchmen wait for the morning.

Vladimir and Estragon did not know how Godot looks like. I may not fully get to know and comprehend God because of His in-finiteness. But I know that He is the source of everything I treasure and of everyone I love. I feel Him in the care and love shown to me by others. I see His hand in the people who come into my life. I catch a glimpse of God when He walks in His garden the earth. The earthly beauty (kariktan) that surrounds me is but a glimpse (sulyap) of the utter beauty and goodness that is God (kagandahan).

Ikaw ang aking Tanging Yaman
Na di lubasang masumpungan
Ang nilikha mong kariktan
Sulyap ng ‘yong kagandahan

Advent is the season of waiting. It is not an absurd kind of waiting, like Vladimir and Estragon waiting for Godot. But it is watchful and prayerful waiting of the pregnant Mary as she awaits for the birth of her Redeemer-Son.

Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.
Matthew 24:37-44

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I Have Decided to Follow

Posted on November 29, 2013 by Spirit Moments

Even from my earliest years, I have always felt a certain longing and hunger inside me, prodding and urging me on. I have also always heard a certain call and clear invitation from someone, somewhere to follow a certain direction, a certain path in my life.

I have always been selfish and self-centered, looking out for Number One. And He has always called me to follow Him in the path of generosity and living my life for others. I have always been one given to physical comforts and pleasures. He has told me instead to follow the path of detachment and denial, cleansing myself of inordinate desires through discipline, pain and suffering. It is so easy for me to give way to hating and anger. He has led me to the path of love and forgiveness and compassion. I am too easily swayed to be slothful and then to be jealous of others. He has taught me to be joyful at all times, rejoicing in the good that I see, specially in others.

I have seen pictures supposedly of him. But I doubt if they are even remotely like what he actually looked like. I can get a glimpse of the person that He is through His words that He left us, words that have inspired and changed lives down the ages. I have seen Him in the lives  and works of the many men He has inspired and whose lives He has changed. I feel His presence in all the good people I have met and in the love and concern that have been given to me by them. I have seen Him in the morning as the sun rises over the horizon and at the setting of the sun at the end of the day. He stays with me as I sleep and recharge for yet another day he will give me.

Yes, I have decided to follow Jesus.

As Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea–for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.

Matthew 4:18-22
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The Gospel of Nature

Posted on November 28, 2013 by Spirit Moments

Men are a part of nature. Men and everything in nature all come from one and the same Source. Men have consciousness and reason while nature seems to be inanimate, devoid of these faculties. And yet, nature seems to be more attuned to our common Source that men are. Nature daily proclaims the goodness of the Lord. Every morning, the sun wakes all of nature up to another day full of hope, potentials and promises. And every night, as the sun sets, nature settles down to rest with humility and gratitude for the day that was. The passing of the seasons celebrates God’s care and love for all that He has created. Everything dies during the fall: trees shed their leaves, plants burrow deep into the earth, animals hibernate or migrate. During winter, all of nature is buried in the earth’s tomb of silence. Then, life comes back in all its beauty and splendor at the break of spring and come to a full flowering in the height of summer. Indeed, all the earth proclaims the Lord!

Nature is sensitive to God’s presence which I often miss or take for granted. Nature is obedient to God’s way as life unfolds. I often think I know better. Nature sees the hand of God in every little thing that happens. I fail to see God even if I was already staring Him in the face. Immersing myself in Nature, I pray that I can be as sensitive and receptive to the Divine Presence that sustains our universe.

Then Jesus told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”

Luke 21:29-33
 
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Signs Of The Times

Posted on November 27, 2013 by Spirit Moments

We have done so much to pollute our environment we are seeing climate changes of apocalyptic proportions: super strong storms and typhoons, torrential rains and massive floods in some places with long-drawn out droughts in others, destructive storm surges and tsunamis, one earthquake after another. We have messed up our lives so bad there are constant wars and conflicts in many places. Even in places believed to be at peace, there is a lot of division and bickering among people. It is no wonder then that there are so many prophets of doom proclaiming the end of the world.

The end may or may not be yet. I feel that if and when the end comes it will be because of man’s doing. We continue on our profligate ways and keep on thrashing our one planet and soon she will no longer be a habitable nor hospitable place for us. We continue with our bickering and divisions and soon we will kill each other off from the face of the earth. But the signs of the times tell us that if we do not change our ways we are speeding towards our own damnation and destruction. These signs are calls for us to take care of the earth instead of thrashing it, to come together in peace, brotherhood and love otherwise we are assured to go MAD (mutually assured destruction).

Thanksgiving is a great time to read these signs of the times with greater attention. In the midst of natural calamities and in the face of our own man-made catastrophes, there are still a whole lot of things to be grateful for: being here, others being here for me, being here for others, family, community, friendships, work and career, ministry and mission. I am realizing it is things of the spirit and not material things that I am truly grateful for. In my gratitude, I am deeply humbled. Knowing the weak and wicked person that I am, I do not deserve all the goodness that has come into my life. I have received mercy and forgiveness and love and affection that I do not truly deserve. On this Thanksgiving Day, I bow my head in humble prayer and let the words ‘Thank You!” linger on my lips for all the blessings I have been blessed with, for all the people I have been gifted with and for all the events through whose unfolding I have caught a glimpse of my God passing through in my life.

‘There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see “the Son of Man coming in a cloud” with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.’ 
Luke 21:20,23-28

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I Will Endure

Posted on November 26, 2013 by Spirit Moments

According to the Law of Entropy, everything eventually breaks down. In fact, everything in the universe is fragile. Life itself is fragile. And yet fragility produces the pieces from which new life and new levels of existence are created. In death, there is life. And in suffering, there is joy. Through the process of hormesis, one can develop immunity and resistance to toxins and pollutants through small and repeated exposures to these offensive agents. Through immunization, one can develop resistance and immunity to diseases through exposure to attenuated pathogens or viruses. Some pain and suffering is good and make me better and stronger. Too much ease and comfort make me weak and complacent; and I wallow in mediocrity.

So it is in the spiritual life. There are moments of doubt and desolation when the Spirit seems like a ludicrous idea and leading a spiritual life seems like tilting at windmills. Even in moments of joy and consolation, I often get the lingering feeling that it is indeed a quixotic undertaking I am embarked on when living a life of the Spirit. But I hold on to the promise and assurance that was given to me that not a hair of mine will perish and that by endurance I will gain my soul.

“You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your souls.” 
Luke 21:12-19

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Changes

Posted on November 25, 2013 by Spirit Moments

Another paradox of life is the fact that change is the only constant. Changes define life and make it possible. Some changes are sudden and cataclysmic, like a strong typhoon. We see the destruction and devastation wrought by it but it is also a call for more changes. It is a call and an invitation to start with a clean slate and make things better, stronger and more beautiful. Other changes are gradual and long-drawn out sea changes, like the evolution of life from single cell organisms to conscious human beings – a process that has taken millions and may be even billions of years. And still others can be designed and managed and made faster because men have learned and mastered some of the changes processes.

And yet the more things change, the more they stay the same. Science tells me that all the cells and molecules in my body are changed and renewed every five years. Like, the body I have today is not the same body as when I first came to live in the US five years ago. And yet, in spite of the fact that I have a totally different body, it is the same “I” that lives. My cells my be new but they are still the cells of an old man. A consciousness resides in this body of mine that has a memory of the six decades that I have lived.

I participate in both: the changes and the unchanging. I am alive. I change. I get renewed. And yet, I am the same person that has lived for sixty four years. There is something unchanging that animates all that is and everything that is alive. That animating force is not inanimate for how can something inanimate animate something that is conscious and alive. I know and I believe that that animating force is a person, who is interested personally in who I am and what becomes of me. That is too big and too grand a concept for me to fully grasp and understand. So He revealed Himself to us humans and to me in particular through signs and wonders that we can comprehend. He joined us in our human existence so we can get a glimpse of who and what He is. Another season of Advent begins this week when we celebrate and remember His Incarnation, his taking on our form and existence so we can come to know just a little bit about Him.

Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven.”
Luke 21:5-11

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Love And Caring in the Aftermath of Yolanda

Posted on November 24, 2013 by Spirit Moments

The outpouring of love, concern, caring and sharing in the past days for those affected and afflicted by Yolanda has been nothing short of miraculous. I have tried to do my share, miniscule to what others have put in who have generously contributed, some out of their abundance, others out of their very existence. I am thinking of and praying for . . . .

  • A friend, who has retired and is now working with a famous NGO. She celebrated her birthday and asked her friends to donate to a relief fund she was putting together instead of gifting her. And she pledged to match what her friends would be able to put together. She was able to raise more than half a million pesos which she contributed to the rebuilding efforts in the Visayas.
  • Another friend, whose daughter works as a community organizer in Busuanga which was razed to the ground by the typhoon. He organizes an relief effort to immediately bring food packages to the place, which was being overlooked and being missed out on because most efforts were directed at bigger towns and cities. With his family, they are able to send thousands of food bags through a speedboat sourced through serendipitous connections. Now, he is spearheading an effort to provide new boats and bancas to the folks of Busuanga whose main livelihood is fishing.
  • Still another friend, with an unsinkable sense of humor. He loves to engage in outrageous antics to get people to laugh. But beyond his air of flippancy, he was among the first ones to volunteer to help in the ‘salubong‘ at Villamor Airbase organized for evacuees from Tacloban seeking refuge in Manila.
  • A barber in Guiuan Samar loses his small barbershop, puts up a makeshift one after the storm and people start coming not so much for haircuts but to vent their feelings and the trauma they have experienced in a familiar setting and with familiar faces – the village barber shop.
  • A psychiatrist-friend goes to war-torn Zamboanga, all but forgotten because of the devastation in other places, comes upon “118 diagnosed PTSD patients, 5168 public school teachers and social workers traumatized, children displaced needing intervention beyond psychological first aid” – a veritable epidemic.  She makes sure they are not forgotten nor neglected in the face of the other calamities being faced by the nation.
  • A doctor son, putting in twelve hours a day at the hospital caring for sick children, many in very serious conditions for life goes on in areas not afflicted by Yolanda. People go about their daily grind, earning a living, raisng children and getting sick, and he has a wedding to prepare for. Love in the time of cholera and other disasters.

Life is meant for the giving. I envy these people for they have given so much more than my own feeble efforts. Yet, I am grateful, humbled, inspired and awed that what I have fondly wished to have been able to do, others have done earlier, faster, in bigger amounts and in a better manner than I could possible have managed myself. This is the thread of humanity that binds us all together. When the chips are down, the natural impulse of people is to reach out and help. Where usually they would get and grab for themselves, there are moments like these where people simply reach out and give.

Jesus looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury; he also saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. He said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.”
Luke 21:1-4

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Image

It used to be that kings ruled the earth. Their word was the law. Anyone who disobeyed the king was punished, not too rarely by death. One who earned the king’s favor was given great honors, lands and titles. Today, kings are mostly gone. The few remaining are largely ceremonial and symbolic of everything that a nation holds noble and dear. But the idea of kings still evokes power and the ability to make things happen. Who is the King in my life? Who rules over me? What drives me in my life?

I have admired, hero-worshipped and followed many in my life: a friend who cared deeply, a boss who managed wisely, a colleague who always helped willingly, famous people who inspired greatly. But they always disappointed. Somehow, I always expected something more, someone better and a relationship more durable and dependable.

Like, love has always inspired me and has moved me to make the most important decisions in my life. It is easy and wonderful to love those who are good to me, those who think and behave like me, and when the going is great. But someone taught me that love is more than just nice feelings and comforting hugs and kisses. Can I love even those who dislike or even hate me, those who would make my life miserable, those who would take away what I cherish most? Can I love even when I am down and dejected, when things are not going my way, when life seems to be one disaster after another? Can I love even when loving means giving up what I enjoy, or when I have to sacrifice, or even give up life and happiness itself for the sake of others? There is one man who taught me that. I want him to be the king in my life.

Like, much of my life has been about additions and acquiring things. I started out in life just wishing for a happy family with good food to celebrate happy occasions, good books to read leisurely, and good music to listen to. Along the way, these simples needs were corrupted to become enslaving wants. The food became more lavish and laden with fats and calories. The books became an obsession to possess the latest best-sellers, many of which I bought but often did not have time to read. The music became a compulsion to collect tapes and CDs of all the artists I liked. And my simple life became rather complicated. Someone led me to realize that I can have a happier and more meaningful life by subtractions and by giving to others rather than acquiring things for myself. Can I live with less food, giving up one meal every now and then like once a month or once a week? Can I deny myself one pleasure and give what I have saved to others? And do this charity anonymously? Can I spend moments in solitude and silence instead of feeding myself with some brain candy? There is one man who led me to realize all of these. I want him to be the king in my life.

“He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!” . . . .
“If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” . . . .
“This is the King of the Jews.” . . . .
“Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” . . . .
“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” . . . .
He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

Luke 23:35-43
Posted on November 23, 2013 by Spirit Moments | 1 Comment

Life Never Dies

Posted on November 22, 2013 by Spirit Moments

Roses flower and bloom, resplendent in their vibrant and beautiful colors. Left to themselves, they prosper and propagate because they are alive. Man applies fertilizer and tills the soil. The roses bloom earlier and with more blossoms. Man grafts the roses and comes up with new varieties of roses. And man begins thinking he is the creator of the rose.

Man harvests wood from trees and is able to make so many wonderful things from the wood. He builds a house, the furnitures in side the house, the decor to transform the house into a home and the toys for his children to play with. And man begins thinking trees grow to serve and please him, being the superior being.

Yet life is bigger than man. Life goes to the fittest and the most worthy. And man is often not the fittest nor the most worthy of all the living things here on earth. Without bees, many plants will not be pollinated and many animals will starve including man. If algae were to disappear from the oceans, earth’s total ecosystem would collapse. If man were to disappear from earth, the earth will probably rejuvenate itself and prosper, with new species emerging. Man lives on earth for about six to eight decades. Many living things on earth have been around for some six to eight thousand years. Indeed, who is more fit and more worthy to live on earth? The vanity of man indeed.

Because of his consciousness and his capacity to think and to reason, man acts as if he owned the earth. We don’t. We are just one of the many living on this planet. Man thinks everything on earth is meant to serve his purpose. I don’t believe so. No less than man, the trees and the stars have a right to be here. As the roses blossom, life also unfolds; its unfolding a mystery. Life is richer and bigger than our feeble mind can possibly comprehend. Life, like matter, does not die. Like matter being transformed from one form or state to another, life is never taken away. It is merely changed and transformed. The transformation of matter is so easy to demonstrate in physics. But why do we find it hard to believe that life is similarly transformed? For matter, to be is to forever. For man, to live is to live forever. This thought is sobering.

Jesus said to them, ‘Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage; but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. Indeed they cannot die any more, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive.’
Luke 20:27-36,38-40

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Early Morning Conversations

Posted on November 21, 2013 by Spirit Moments

From my earliest years, I have always been fascinated by you seeking to know better and love you more. Even before I was fully aware of the world around me, I had been wondering what you were doing in our house, seated on your throne as King. I wondered why we had to go to your house every Sunday, which in time I looked forward to doing with Ima, Tatang, my brothers and sister.

I have always loved words and playing with them. I thank you for the gift of my facility with words and ideas. From the time I could master words, it was your words that I memorized and captured in my heart: “Come to me all you who labor and I will give you rest.” “Learn of me because I am meek and humble of heart.” “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and suffer the loss of his immortal soul.” “If anyone would come after me; let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.”

At a tender age, I tried to leave everything and follow you. I spent nine years in formation for the priesthood, years that I look back to now with gratitude and deep appreciation. But you led me elsewhere to be in your service. I have spent all of my working years in doing what you did most of your public life: teaching and healing. I thanks you for my fruitful careers in education and healthcare. I shared this work with the many wonderful friends and colleagues you have blessed me with. I have become a better person because of them.

You have blessed me with a family that I could not have imagined possible even in my fondest dreams. Your words have been our life. And I am amazed how you have made it possible to make the seeds of faith and love you have planted in me to grow so vibrantly in Jane and Jonathan. We talk about you with them very often. But I have a feeling they have better memories of you (from whom they came) than I have knowledge of you from my own feeble attempts to know and love you better. Please keep them safe, enfolded in the mantle of your grace and presence.

Am I spellbound by your words? Indeed I am. Your words have been my life. You are the Word of the Father whom I seek as my source and final destiny. You are the Word made flesh, sharing our humanity to make way for us to share in your divinity.

Every day he was teaching in the temple. The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people kept looking for a way to kill him; but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were spellbound by what they heard.
Luke 19:45-48

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