Putting Out Into the Deep

Posted on September 5, 2013 by Spirit Moments

The happiest and most fulfilling times in my life have been those times when I had put out into the deep and dared. My disappointments and regrets have been those times when I did not dare, kept very close to the shore and stayed at some safe haven.

Barely in my teens and without prodding from any one, except the inspiring talk by a Sacred Heart missionary priest, I decided to leave home and entered the seminary. This was the start of a lifelong journey that has brought me to places I never dreamed of I would see and visit and met people whom I had never imagined I would encounter and much less interact with. At times, I wonder how much more exciting and fulfilling the journey would have been if I had dared a little bit more.

I has set my mind to becoming a priest and if I had just stayed the course, I could have been one. It was a safe and sure route. Just let the years go by and when the time came I would have been ordained. But both internal personal disquiet and external social ferment conspired to push me out into the depths once more. I lost all moorings, all the people and places that gave a sense of everything being right with the world. I remember waking up in the middle of the night several times during those times, crying from the uncertainty and the turmoil going on within me. But looking back, I am glad I had let out into the deep and trusted the Lord to lead me on.

And so I have learned that the journey of my life is about letting out into the deep and trusting that the Lord will be there to guide me and to tell me where and when to cast out my nets. It was thus when I decided to marry, to have children, to change career, to take on more responsibilities, to move to a foreign land. And thus, it will be for the rest of the journey. I do not know what else lies in store, what shores I still will visit, what events will push me to let go of my moorings again and put out into the deep once more. Peter’s words will be my prayer: ‘Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.’

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.’ Simon answered, ‘Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.’ When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break.
Luke 5:1-11

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My Morning Prayer

Posted on September 4, 2013 by Spirit Moments

At daybreak, as another new day dawns
Gratefully greeting the morning with my yawns
I gather my thoughts and lift up my soul
For in my sleep I was again made whole

I thank the Lord for a restful sleep
He stayed with me as I slumbered deep
He gently touched me to soothe away my pain
Thus renewed, I can take on life again

I thank the Lord for yet another day
Wondering what will come my way
I seek to do what his will is for me
To love and serve Him in all I see

For yesterday, I also thank my Lord
Have I tried to live and do right by His Word
Did I try to fill the world around me with love
Did I share with others whatever I have

Thus I begin my day in silent prayer
Welcoming into my life God’s grace and power
To lead me not into temptation and boredom
But to deliver me from evil and into his Kingdom

Amen

At daybreak he departed and went into a deserted place. And the crowds were looking for him; and when they reached him, they wanted to prevent him from leaving them. But he said to them, ‘I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also; for I was sent for this purpose.’
Luke 4:38-43

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Demons and Angels

Posted on September 3, 2013 by Spirit Moments

Demons and angels are often thought of as myths and old stories in today’s advanced and highly technological world. But are they? Or are they for real?

A despotic leader uses chemical weapons on his own people and in the process kills even innocent children by the hundreds. In outrage, other world leaders threaten sanctions and would strike the despot’s country with missiles, with the likely result that more children would perish as collateral damage. I do not see the devil but I can see him very clearly at work here.

A group of nuns leave the comforts of their home countries and set up a monastery in a war-ravaged country ministering to the sick, the wounded, the abandoned, the hungry and the homeless. Even at the constant persecution, they stay to do their good works and all the while praying and working for the violence and destruction to stop. They have no wings but they have the hearts and the hands of angels. And what they do is the work of angels.

I have my own demons I have to struggle with constantly. In fact, this is the constant struggle of man. Saint Paul had already warned us: “For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin (the demons) living in me that does it.” Roman 7:19-20

And yet, I also know I am capable of good. I have chosen time and again to do good. I have made people happy. I have helped hem when I could and given when and what I had, even at times when I thought I did not have anything to give.

Jesus gave the commandment of Love as the ultimate weapon against the devil and his works. He also gave us some spiritual exercises and disciplines to combat the evil one: prayers, fasting and almsgiving. I will pray constantly and without ceasing, not so much to ask to favors but to keep me always in God’s presence and keep the devil away. For I cannot be doing evil things while I am in prayer. I will fast not only from food but from all self-seeking pleasures and gratifications. I will starve my spirit of worldly pleasures and pursuits so that I can focus on the weightier things. I will give to others in charity, pruning myself of excesses. As I give away things, I will have less baggage to carry on the journey. As I give of myself, I get pruned and like a tree will grow even more fruitful.

In the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, “Let us alone! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!””
Luke 4:31-37

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Proclaim the Lord’s Favor

Posted on September 2, 2013 by Spirit Moments

In Syria, children are dying. People are leaving their homes for safer havens. Young men are being conscripted for the ongoing war and strife. People would love to hear messages of peace and put a stop to their sufferings and be liberated from the horrors of war. War does not makes sense yet peace does not seem to be an option for the leaders of these people.

In Manila, people are outraged at the blatant corruption of leaders who have raided and plundered public funds. Greed and duplicity reigns in the hearts of those elected by people to serve them and look after the common good and not their self-interests. People would love to see these leaders repent and make restoration of what they have stolen. They long to be liberated from the oppression by their own leaders.

In the US, people struggle through fear and uncertainty in an environment of affluence and plenty. There is a lot of noise and activity to drive away loneliness and isolation. There are a lot of things to acquire and a lot of things to do; yet emptiness and boredom is evident in many place. People long to hear the good news that will drive away their loneliness and emptiness.

I will choose peace, love and reconciliation over strife and conflict. I will choose integrity and honesty over deception and lies. I will choose faith and hope over despair, angst and ennui. I will give blessings instead of curses. I will be the bearer of good news and glad tidings. I will choose good over evil. I will choose to believe in the goodness there in people.

The apostle Paul writes to the Romans:  “Bless your persecutors; never curse them, bless them. … Never pay back evil with evil. … Never try to get revenge. … If your enemy is hungry, give him something to eat; if thirsty, something to drink. … Do not be mastered by evil, but master evil with good”  (Romans 12:14-21).

‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.’
Then he began to say to them,
‘Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’
Luke 4:16-19,21,24,29-30

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Breaking Bread and Making My Humanity Whole

Posted on September 1, 2013 by Spirit Moments

Image

Yesterday, we had a family picnic. And this was the sight that we saw before us as we ended a happy and wonderful day. Even as the day was drawing to a close, God’s graces were still streaking across the sky to bring us unending joy and happiness. Some relatives traveled hundreds of miles just to join us; others we have not seen for more than thirty years; and still others we see regularly  but whose company we long for nonetheless to give us our sense of being loved and cared for, thereby affirming the innate goodness and value in each one of us.

As we shared the food and the fun that each of the families brought, the struggles of earning a daily living, the travails of pursuing a career and the humdrum details of everyday routines were laid aside and momentarily forgotten as we reveled in each others company remembering the past with fondness, relishing the present for the love and care we share and in the process refreshed to face up to the future with greater hope.

There is something about sharing food, feasting together and being with friends and family that affirms something of deep value in human persons. Breaking bread with another person means seeing the goodness in him. It means truly appreciating his value and wanting to share your own value with him. When we share a meal, we share time as well. When we share time and a meal, our stomachs get filled and so do our hearts.

Breaking bread with family and friends also reminds us that we are part of the greater human family. And in the joy and fullness of our feasting, Jesus reminds us to make the occasion for us to be aware of others who may not have enough to eat or who may not even have anything to eat. Even as eating reminds us of what is deeply human in us, may it also remind us we are a part of a greater humanity, for whom we also have responsibility.

I can hear the exhortation of Pope Francis: Go the the edges. Live out in the peripheries. And there share you food and break bread with the poor and the marginalized.

He said also to the one who had invited him, ‘When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.’
Luke 14:1,12-14

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A Life Well-lived

Posted on August 31, 2013 by Spirit Moments

Tatang must have been the first one in his family to have gone to college; for they were of peasant stock. He was among the early teachers in Pampanga during the American Colonization. In the process, he inspired many of his nieces and nephew to go to college as well. He must have pretty much impressed himself by what and how much he has accomplished in his life. I could feel his surge of pride seeing all his children finish college and pursue successful careers of their own. I am certain he will be amazed, happy and totally proud to see his grandchildren today. And his great grandchildren? Oh, he would absolutely adore them. Tatang was a man whom the Master would praise for what he had done to the talents he has been given.

Tatang was smart with a strong streak of playfulness. We were not of the affluent class. But with the smarts of Tatang, we had enough to live a comfortable life. And during times when there was not enough (and they were quite often), his playfulness would made the little we had look like fun and we would get by. I saw him strive and struggle to invest the talents he received not on himself but on us his family and children.

Life is a bundle of talents that we receive, undeserved, from the Master. A life well-lived and pushed to its fulness and potential is what we give back to the Master when he comes back.
Mula sa iyo ang lahat nang ito
     Muli kong handog sa iyo
     Patnubayan mo’t pagharian lahat
     Ayon sa kalooban.
     Mag-utos ka, Panginoon ko
     Dagling tatalima ako
     Ipagkaloob mo lamang ang pag-ibig mo
     At lahat tatalikdan ko.

“For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability.”
Matthew 25:14-21,24-28

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A User’s Manual for Life?

Posted on August 30, 2013 by Spirit Moments

Mickey has just bought himself a new car and it came with a very thick ‘User’s Manual’ as thick as a Bible. The Manual describes the car and its parts in great details, how to operate the car, how to maintain it and its different components like the transmission, the engine, the brakes, the AC, etc., and what to do when the car or some its components do not work. The thick volume looked intimidating. If I had to go through the whole manual to drive the car, forget it. The excitement of driving a new car is enough for me to operate it. I will read the manual when I need to.

The Bible is perhaps like a ‘User’s Manual’ for our lives? It tells us about what life is, what makes up our life, how to live our lives and what to do when things go wrong. It is also a thick volume and it also looks intimidating. Life is too exciting for me to take time to read the manual. And I usually turn to it only when things go wrong or when I need to.

I look at Jane and Jonathan and the fun they have at playing their video games. They do not need ‘Instructions’ or ‘User’s Manuals’ to enjoy them. They just take to these things intuitively. Maybe, it is the environment they grew up in or the air they breathe or the interactions they have with their playmates. They simply take to this things like ducklings to the water.

There are also no ‘Instructions’ nor a ‘User’s Manual’ for life. But I see the instructions all over the place: in the beauty and grandeur of the environment around us, in the freshness and purity of the air that we breathe, in the interactions I have with the people around me. The instructions are written not on the wall but deep in my heart. We naturally seek and want to know what life is about, what to do to have a good life and how to make things right when things go wrong.

As Mother Teresa used to say: “To keep the lamp burning, we have to keep putting oil in it.”

Jesus said to his disciples, “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.”
Matthew 25:1-13

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Time in the Eternal Now

Posted on August 29, 2013 by Spirit Moments

I often think of time – it’s such a precious gift
But no one knows how much of it we have
At times, we let it pass away and just drift
At times, for another day we’d like to save

There are those who live to a ripe old age
Others, who in their tender years die
In youth, I thought I’d be forever on life’s stage
Now I wonder what time and things ahead of me lie.

All of us eventually run out of time
And this joyful earth we will leave behind
But endless time is such a thought sublime
It is something I have constantly in my mind.

I think of joyfully and eventually coming home
Where days stretch out into the time eternal
I know I will live forever and then some
There I will finally have my dreams and all.

Jesus said to his disciples, “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 24:42-46

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Wearing Masks in Daily Life

Posted on August 28, 2013 by Spirit Moments

We often wear masks and what people see is not really what they get. The news and history is replete with stories of people being the exact opposite of whom they try to project they are. There are preachers who are really sexual predators. There are big and wealthy businessmen who are no more than wily scammers. There are great athletes who have attained their stature by using illegal drugs. There are government regulators who are in fact the biggest law-breakers themselves.

I am aghast at the unfolding events in the Philippines. It is very galling to realize that supposedly honorable and upright persons who sit as our august legislators have no qualms whatsoever in raiding and plundering the national treasury. And they have been doing this for years. That is why they would cling to power like insatiable leeches.

Masks are often necessary coping mechanisms for us to be able to function in daily life. To protect our deepest self from hurt or pain, we wear masks. Sometimes, to protect the people we love from hurt and pain, we wear masks. We wear many and different masks, depending on the situation and the people we are with. Masks become reprehensible when they are insidious, when we begin to live a lie and when they turn us into hypocrites.

In prayer and alone with God, I can take off my masks and lay my soul bare before him. Before him, I can shed all pretenses and just simply be myself. For after all, it was Him who made me and everything from Him is good. In prayer, I affirm that goodness in me and that realization makes me strong to face daily life. Then, I might not have to wear my masks too often.

‘Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside look beautiful, but inside they are full of the bones of the dead and of all kinds of filth. So you also on the outside look righteous to others, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.’
Matthew 23:27-32

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Working for the Weightier Things

Posted on August 27, 2013 by Spirit Moments

Just when I start getting all comfortable and settled in in my life, something always happens to change its direction and my life gets unsettled, goes into turmoil but somehow things always become better. I was happy and contented growing up in Angeles, resigned to spending the rest of my life there. Then one day, Fr. Lagerway came to our school and talked to us about the seminary and becoming a priest. So I left my home and went to the seminary and I have been moving my place of residence many times ever since, each new place always better than the last.

I could have just stayed on in the seminary; but one day, I told my Rector that I would want to spend a few years working before finishing my studies. So, I left the seminary and taught at Xavier School and there met the love of my life. I have changed professions and careers several times since then, each new one posing new and bigger challenges but as always each one better than the last.

When things and people get settled down, they get too comfortable and resigned sometimes even in their misery. The force of inertia make people complacent. Leaders begin to believe they are above the law. Priests and religious begin to believe they are beyond sinning. And the people begin to lose hope for their salvation and redemption.

There is turmoil and trouble a brewing in the Philippines right now. I pray this is the sign of coming deep changes and nation-changing events. Even Pope Francis has said he wants to see people creating mess in their churches, stirring things and changing centuries old practices in the Church.

I pray that we work and strive for the weightier matters like justice, mercy and faith.

Jesus said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. It is these you ought to have practiced without neglecting the others.”
Matthew 23:23-26

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