Being a Saint

Posted on October 31, 2013 by Spirit Moments

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Life is one big mystery and a paradox difficult, if not well nigh impossible, to understand. It is a never ending dynamic tension between being and becoming. I long for ease and comfort, a stasis where I would rest easy just being me. And yet, I am also always restless – seeking, searching, straining, and struggling to become more, better and more fulfilled.

In the end, I have to learn and re-learn and learn all over again that it is in being poor that I am blessed with riches; that it is in mourning that I am blessed with comfort and joy; that it is becoming meek and humble that I am blessed with the glories of life; that it is in being hungry and thirsty that I become filled and fulfilled; that it is in being merciful that I too am blessed with mercy and forgiveness; that it is in emptying and purifying my heart of all its inordinate desires that I am blessed with the presence of God; that it is in being persecuted, excluded, derided and ridiculed that I am blessed to come into God’s Kingdom.

These are hard lessons to learn. Many have given up. But many more have succeeded. We venerate them and call them ‘Saints’. And we celebrate their lives today. They would include Ima, Tatang, Papa, Mama and all my deceased loved ones. At one time or another in my life; they have helped me along in my journey, in my struggling between being and becoming. That is why I also call them ‘Saints’.

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Hugs

Posted on October 31, 2013 by Spirit Moments

Jonathan and Jane love to hug and be hugged. Often when giving hugs, Jonathan would say: “Hugs make you happy and healthy.” And sometimes, he would say to Jane “Jane, I need a hug. I want to feel happy.” Indeed, hugs make people happier and healthier. And smarter, and live longer, and cry harder. It is amazing that such human contact, simple and easily given, can convey so much more meaning than words can ever do. A touch is often more reassuring than any word one can think of. And a warm hug can say sorry more sincerely than anything one can say.

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.”
Luke 13:31-35

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Will Only a Few Be Saved?

Posted on October 29, 2013 by Spirit Moments

I was with some of my old classmates from the seminary last night. As usual, it was a fun and a happy occasion as we swapped life stories, experiences and insights. Even as we relished each others company, we agreed that life does not become any easier as one aged. We talked about our joys and achievements; but we also talked about the challenges, the tribulations and the struggles we have to contend with. Not least of which are our health and physical problems. Much as we have dreamed of a life of ease and comfort in our twilight years, this is not the purpose of life. The purpose of life is to live a life of meaning and contribution.

As we recounted what still made us want to get up every morning and face another day, we were of one mind that the meaning of our lives would be measured by not what we have, by what we give away. Happiness is to be measured not by what we have acquired and amassed, but by what we have gathered together and shared. What matters most are not the titles or awards we have been given but the smiles we have put on other people’s faces and the fires we have kindled in their hearts. It is not the pain and suffering we were able to prevent or to remove, but the pain and suffering we have willingly shared with or even taken on for others. It is not the comfort and ease we have put into our lives but about the comfort and ease we have willingly given up so that others may have a slightly better chance at and a bigger share in their lives.

Not a few will be saved for our God is a God of Salvation. But salvation is not about being easy and comfortable. It is about the struggles of daily living, both big and small, that slowly nudge us to salvation and true joy and happiness. I have come across some recent studies showing that a generous heart is an essential component of being happy.

Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few be saved?” He said to them, “Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able … Indeed, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.” 
Luke 13:22-24,30

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All It Takes Is a Tiny Spark

Posted on October 28, 2013 by Spirit Moments
I have often dreamt of doing great things
And making the big difference.
In my time, I have done some great things
And made some big difference.
But in the grand scheme of things
Whatever I have done, whatever I have made
Are of no real consequence.
For my passing through is like
That of a ship’s wake in the wide ocean.
I pass through and leave a trail of white froth.
The parallel lines spread out as the ship moves on
And are soon gone without a trace whatsoever.
Yet in the grand scheme of things
It is the small and sometimes random things
That leave a lasting memory and abiding impact:
That fleeting talk by an itinerant priest that set me off on my journey,
That enrollment rejection that totally changed the course of my life – for the better,
That afternoon of bantering that propelled me into the unknown,
That winsome smile that captivated my heart forever,
Three new lives entrusted to my care,
A career I never ever imagined possible, much less real,
An ordinary document that opened for us a whole new world.
Who would ever have thought I would be blessed with so much love?
Who would ever imagined I would be taking care of angels?
Who would ever have thought I would walk in paths of unspeakable beauty?
And who would ever have thought someone would reach out and take my hand?
How can an act, so simple and inconsequential have such far-reaching effect?
How can a seed, so small and seemingly lifeless, be the source of a gigantic, life-giving tree?
How can a single event, so fleeting and often unnoticed, change the course of so many other events?
How can a small lump of yeast cause so much change as to transform so much dough to feed hundreds and even thousands of hungry people?
Such is the mysterious and sacred unfolding of life.
Jesus said, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what should I compare it? It is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in the garden; it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.” And again he said, “To what should I compare the kingdom of God? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”
Luke 13:18-21
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Proactivity

Posted on October 27, 2013 by Spirit Moments
One of the valuable lessons I learned from Covey, and I learned a lot from him, is the concept and practice of proactivity. Man is driven both by passion and by reason. Often, I allow my passions and emotions drive me and I lead a life of reactivity. Being proactive is putting a space between a stimulus with all the passions it excites and the resulting action from the stimulus. And in that space, I exercise my freedom using the human endowments of self-awareness, imagination, conscience and independent will. In the process, I create my own environment, instead of allowing the environment to create and make me.
Authentic Christianity is a practice in proactivity. It is putting a space between my passions and my actions. And that space is a sacred space. It is prayer. Through prayer, I purify and sanctify my passions and emotions to transform and incarnate these into acts of love and service – to others, to the environment and also to myself.
Now during those days he went out to the mountain to pray; and he spent the night in prayer to God. And when day came, he called his disciples and chose twelve of them, whom he also named apostles. 
Luke 6:12-16
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Heaven Breaks Through in Thin Places

Posted on October 26, 2013 by Spirit Moments

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There are thin places on earth
where the heaven and earth come very close together
and the light and grace of God simply breaks through.

My life has been blessed with so much more than my wildest dreams.
I imagined the kind of family that I dearly wanted
And life gave me one brighter than my fondest dreams.
I imagined the friends that would make me happy
And I have been happiest when I can make them happy.
I dreamed of success and achievements I thought were pipe dreams
And I have scaled dizzying heights of success that beggared my imaginings.
It was so easy and natural finding these thin places.

There are thin places on earth
where the heaven and earth come very close together
and the light and grace of God simply breaks through.

I got drunk with success and my achievements.
I was so full of myself
I thought everything was due to my talents and efforts.
I became so patronizing and condescending of others
That many saw only my pride and arrogance.
I was treading on dangerously thin ice.
In humility, I gratefully acknowledged that everything was gift.
I owned nothing on my own,
Knowing that I cannot boast of anything on my own.

There are thin places on earth
where the heaven and earth come very close together
and the light and grace of God simply breaks through.

I have held the tiny finger of my sons and grandchildren
And I felt the presence of God’s hand.
I have shared tears and joys with Anabelle
And I have understood how God cleanses us with love.
I have laughed and worked with colleagues and friends
And I have truly continued God’s work of creation.
I hike and enjoy the great outdoors
And it was truly a walk with God.

There are thin places on earth
where the heaven and earth come very close together
and the light and grace of God simply breaks through.

“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Luke 18:9-14

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Justice and Mercy

Posted on October 25, 2013 by Spirit Moments

Justice is a universal human value. In any society, whenever harm is done, reparation is demanded. Whenever something that rightfully belongs to another is taken, restitution is required. And when someone is wrong, efforts are made to make it right. And often, when the offense is great, people demand that justice be equally severe. “Tooth for a tooth” was originally a call for temperance in justice that when only a tooth was taken, only a tooth and not the whole mouth be demanded in recompense.

Mercy and forgiveness are a deeper human value. It takes physical strength to impose justice; but it takes great inner strength and strength of the spirit to be able to forgive and show mercy. Great is the man who lives by justice; but greater is the man who is merciful and forgiving.

In the bigger scheme of things, nothing is so evil that cannot be turned into good. Nor is anything so dark that it cannot be brought to light. If the human experience were all about justice, the human story would have ended at the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve were driven out for their sin. Rather out of their offense came the greatest love story ever told: God becoming man to show us how to love and to forgive and in so doing live!

Then he told this parable: ‘A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. So he said to the gardener, “See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?” He replied, “Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig round it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.”‘ 
Luke 13:1-9

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Signs And Wonders

Posted on October 24, 2013 by Spirit Moments

ImageAnabelle and I went spelunking with some friends up north where we spent the past four days. In recent months, we have been awed by fantastic rock formations in different places. In one cave in Ilagan, Isabel we actually saw the beginnings of a new stalagmite. It all starts as a pool of water, with every drop sending out ripples across the pond. There is nothing solid for a long time. Stalagmites and stalactites need a century to add but an inch to their length or height. Eventually the head rises out of the water and an awesome stalagmite slowly starts taking shape, drop by drop, inch by inch.

This physical phenomenon has taught me several things about the life of the Spirit. All of this wonder happens in the emptiness and solitude of the cave, often in pitch black darkness. In the beginning, there is nothing but the fluid and amorphous water in the pond, created by the constant dripping from above. In the life of the Spirit, one has to be immersed and showered by an ocean of grace from above. I do nothing but to receive and accept this outpouring. I do not know what will eventually come out but I entrust myself totally to God’s care and providence. This process of creating may be between me and my creator but I am not alone. As the drops hit the pool, they send out ripples across the pond. I am reminded that I exist in a web of relationships: with nature, with others and with the Creator who is fashioning something awesome in my life.

I may not have seen nor touched nor heard my God. But He has left so many signs and wonders all over His creation for me to miss seeing or touching or hearing His Presence in my life.

Jesus also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, ‘It is going to rain’; and so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat’; and it happens. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?”
Luke 12:54-59

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Pray Without Ceasing

Posted on October 19, 2013 by Spirit Moments

ImageA scenic beach is always a sight to behold
The rocks, the sand and the cliffs of gold
Such a breath-taking place is easy to have
Just let the endless rhythm of wave after wave.

Stalactites and stalagmites are also an awesome sight
Golden structures built with main and might
In silence and emptiness, they’re slowly made
As endless drips of water down the top cascade.

And so it is that all things of beauty are created
With patience true and efforts unending exerted.
Thus, we should do when with God we’re interceding
That when we pray, we should pray without ceasing.

Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Grant me justice against my opponent.’ For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, ‘Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.'”
Luke 18:1-8

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Coming Full Circle

Posted on October 18, 2013 by Spirit Moments

One evening while Anabelle was preparing dinner, she called out to Jane and said: “Come and help me prepare dinner, Jane. I will teach you how to cook.” Jane very spontaneously replied: “No, Lola, my husband will cook.” We, of course, had a good laugh; but the more I thought about Jane’s reply, the more I realized I was watching a great societal shift happening right before my eyes. All of five years and Jane was redefining gender roles from their age-old definitions.

Traditionally, mothers (or the women) have been called home-makers, essentially doing all the housework to transform a house into a home. And the fathers (or the men) usually ‘bring home the bacon”. This benign arrangement has worked for most societies over the ages. But it has also led to the exploitation and discrimination against women, since “a woman’s place is in the home.” In some societies and cultures, women are not sent to school for they do not need education if there are just to stay at home. They are subject to the men who bring home the bacon. And when they try to go and bring home the bacon themselves, women often earn less than the traditional bacon-bringers.

Jane, in a spontaneous display of infinite wisdom, saw through the injustice and inequality of this arrangement. Babies and young children, with the memory of heaven still fresh in their minds, still remember the wisdom that can only come from the Holy Spirit who generated them. As I grow in age, my memory keeps on failing me. But I can feel this memory of my ultimate origin slowly coming back. It is truly a full circle. At this stage, however, I feel Jane remembers more of what and where she came from than I can imagine what or where I am going to.

These thougts (and prayers) are a very reassuring realization for me.

“When they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers, and the authorities, do not worry about how you are to defend yourselves or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that very hour what you ought to say.”
Luke 12:8-12

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