Transfiguring My Life

Posted on August 6, 2013 by Spirit Moments

Faces often convey more meaning and speak louder that the words we say. A smile on my face usually elicits a resonating smile from another person. A face burdened by pain or problems often breaks my heart and urges me to ask how I can help. Yesterday, we met up with a friend Dawn and her beautiful baby Piper. We also met her parents. I could distinctly see a certain glow and feel a palpable warmth whenever they looked at or talked about their darling granddaughter. No touch, no physical contact. And yet real change happens in people when they communicate non-verbally and non-physically.

I guess God communicates with us in pretty much the same way. I look at the face of the earth and I am filled with an awesome glow and a reassuring warmth that I have been loved into existence. I see the smiles of people in my life and share in their joys and sorrows. I see their burdened faces and I am touched to get out of myself, reach out to them in love, support and service.

In the midst of the busy and noisy activities of daily living, it is easy to miss this important truth. I need to slow down and relish the moments to realize these things. Together with Jesus, and like Peter and John and James, I must take time and make the effort to go up the mountain to pray. And there, to allow Christ to transfigure my life.

Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him.
Luke 9:28-30,32-36

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Breaking Bread at the Commons

Posted on August 5, 2013 by Spirit Moments

Bounty and abundance have always been the Law of Nature. Natural shortages such those brought about by droughts are often temporary. Man-made shortages such as those brought about by hoarding happen because man takes from nature out of greed instead of just what he needs. We have been blessed with a rich, bountiful and abundant Earth. There is more than enough for everybody.

In ancient and primitive societies and cultures, everything was owned in common. The ‘Commons’ was for everyone in the community to use and included air, water, land, game, hunting grounds and in many cases food, clothing and shelter or homes. Native American Indians and my Filipino ancestors did not have deeds or titles to property because they hardly had any concept of private property. But even in Western societies there is the strong tradition of the ‘Commonwealth’ which is a community founded for the common good.

It often takes a certain amount of brokenness in us to realize that we need one another, that we are meant to live in community. For as long as we are too full of ourselves, it is very hard to see this truth. It will always my land, my riches, my possessions. It is in brokenness, whether in ourselves or in others, that we realize it is our pain and therefore our joy, our struggles and therefore our victory, our lives and therefore our community.

The artistic soul of John Lennon captured this truth for the soul of the world:
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people sharing all the world 

It is a Eucharistic life when I can take my life and look up to heaven, be thankful for all the blessings I have received, see my struggles and brokenness and, in the realization of my own inadequacy, share this and reach out to others in love and service.

Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Matthew 14:14-21

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Solidarity and Convergence

Posted on August 4, 2013 by Spirit Moments

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In a far and remote corner of New Mexico is this chapel of Santo Nino de Atocha in Chimayo. Many of the American soldiers sent to the Philippines just before the Second World War were from New Mexico because they could speak Spanish. During the siege of Bataan and Corregidor and the subsequent Death March, many of them prayed to the Santo Nino for deliverance. Those who survived attributed it to the intercession of the Christ Child. After the war, they made yearly pilgrimages to this site in thanksgiving and undying gratitude, a practice that has persisted to this day having been taken up by the next and younger generations.

As I knelt in prayer in that chapel, I was struck by the convergence in that chapel of the Spanish roots and origins of my faith, the American influence in my outlook and tastes and my being a Filipino. And all of these converged and came together in the Santo Nino. “Pagkahaba-haba man daw ng prusisyon, sa simbahan pa rin ang tuloy.” Everything and everyone eventually goes back to their Source.

Such convergence also reveals our solidarity. We may be many but we are one, all children of the one God. We have one home, Earth. We live and die together on this planet. When Pope Francis visited the slums of Varginha in Brazil during the recent World Youth Congress, he made this impassioned appeal for solidarity:

“I would like to make an appeal to those in possession of greater resources, to public authorities and to all people of good will who are working for social justice: never tire of working for a more just world, marked by greater solidarity! No one can remain insensitive to the inequalities that persist in the world! Everybody, according to his or her particular opportunities and responsibilities, should be able to make a personal contribution to putting an end to so many social injustices. The culture of selfishness and individualism that often prevails in our society is not, I repeat, not what builds up and leads to a more habitable world: rather, it is the culture of solidarity that does so; the culture of solidarity means seeing others not as rivals or statistics, but brothers and sisters. And we are all brothers and sisters!”

It is wiser for the rich man to store his grains in the bellies of those who are hungry and his goods in the hands of those in need. I may not have much but what I have I will share with those who are hungry, naked, lonely and in need.

And he said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.”
Luke 12:13-21

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The Prophet, the Fool and the Poet

Posted on August 3, 2013 by Spirit Moments

Man’s mind is so powerful that it can trump reality and replace it with a world of delusion and illusion. When someone tells us truth that hurts, we seek to still or quiet that voice – sometimes subtly, sometimes violently.

I have always loved this quote from Pasternak: “In every generation there has to be some fool who will speak the truth as he sees it.” When truth is painful, we tend to laugh it off and pretend it was a fool who said it. Often, fools speak the truth more often than do wise men who are often guilty of double speak in their wisdom.

Sometimes the truth is too ineffable for us to express in words. We turn to poets and to the sensitivity of their souls to express for us what we know and feel deep within us to be true. Poets are able to in words “what oft was thought but ne’er so well expressed.”

At other times, we know that truth has a deeper meaning than what is right before our eyes. We need to remove layers of distractions and preoccupations for us to get to the core of things. And at that core we discover who we really. Prophets have always been in touch with this sacred core that sustains us and they are able to see God’s hand even in the ordinary events of our lives.

The Prophet. The Fool. The Poet. They are all proclaimers of the truth. Prophets are killed. Most fools are dismissed as insufferable. Many poets dies penurious. There was once a fool on the hill who spoke the truth the prophets did, seeing God’s loving providence as he saw in his poet’s eyes the lilies of the field and the birds in the air.

For Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because John had been telling him, ‘It is not lawful for you to have her.’ Though Herod wanted to put him to death, he feared the crowd, because they regarded him as a prophet.
Matthew 14:3-12

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Faith, Love and Hope

Posted on August 2, 2013 by Spirit Moments

Man is unique in all of creation because of his capacity to reason. Man has done marvelous deeds because of this capability. Because of this, man has swung between the temptation of believing he is the center of all creation and the temptation of believing he has no need of a Creator. Deep down everyone’s soul is the yearning for our Source. Faith is a deep-seated yearning but it is not easy. Often faith means to believe in spite of . . .

As deep-seated this yearning for faith is, it also leads us to others, our fellow human beings. The mind may see clearly but the heart sees more deeply. And the heart tells us we are not alone. We are meant to be kind and gentle. We have been made to love and serve one another. Faith and love, they go together. If we learn and live out this truth, then there is hope for mankind.

And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “Prophets are not without honor except in their own country and in their own house.” And he did not do many deeds of power there, because of their unbelief.
Matthew 13:54-58

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A Life Well Lived

Posted on August 1, 2013 by Spirit Moments

Life is a wondrous gift. I was not asked beforehand if I wanted to be born. Now that I am here, I am grateful for this tremendous gift. It is amazing how before I was not and now I am here. I could have just remained a clump of dust. Now, here I am a living, breathing human person. And my being here is not just some fleeting gust in the wind. I am a story, a journey, a quest. One with a beginning, a direction, a meaning and an ending. I am grateful of my present now. I have had many nows that have brought me here. These were my thousands of moments. Many were happy, some were sad. Some were difficult, others were easy. This morning, I woke up delighted because I still have a now.

Just reflecting on my life, I am aware I am part of a network  of goodness. It is good to be alive. And I want to do good by my self, by others and by my Source. Life, for all the heartaches, is beautiful. It was not meant to be a burden nor a prison. It was meant to bring about my full flowering, my liberation. Even as I advance in years, there is that undying feeling within me that the best is yet to come.

Life is not by any means easy. I have had a good run but I have had my share of ups and downs, of winning and losing, of laughter and tears. At the end, what will I have to show for it? Will my story be worth telling and listening to? Or, has it been a wasted journey with nothing to show for the time (my now) and space (my here) I was given? If we are to live forever after death, my life story and the people I have met and related with should be interesting and inspiring to be replayed – over and over again – in eternity. Like some story one never tires of hearing or a movie one never tires of seeing or a song one never tires of singing.

Jesus said, ‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Matthew 13:47-53

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Ignatius of Loyola

Posted on July 31, 2013 by Spirit Moments
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A treasure I have found that has been a source of great joy for me is Ignatian Spirituality. I start each day with my prayer moment. This practice has been the source of great joy and consolation, of strength and inspiration in my life. I have been greatly aided in this by Sacred Space (http://www.sacredspace.ie/), a virtual prayer room maintained by the Irish Jesuits. I have learned to deepen my life and truly appreciate life in the Spirit from my Jesuit friends and mentors. And I join them today in celebrating the feast of their founder, St. Ignatius of Loyola.

The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius include a meditation on the Mystery of the Incarnation, the truth that God not only created the world but continues to be intimately involved in it. The Jesuit poet Gerard Manley Hopkins wrote:

          The world is charged with the grandeur of God.
It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;
It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil
Crushed.

Even more amazing is that God took on our humanity and became man in Jesus Christ. God makes his presence known and calls us to a relationship – where we are and as we are. From Fr. Abe, I came to appreciate that God meets me in my Filipino-ness, within the Asian context I was born. Fr. Tom led me to the realization that God always makes the first move. He loved me first and everything I have is gift from Him, undeserved yet way beyond anything I could have expected. Opening to God in prayer helps me to deepen this relationship with God, to discern His will for me and to direct me in my mission in life. Fr. Ruben showed me how to flesh out and live this mission authentically in my calling to the married life.

Anabelle and I have been Jesuit lay collaborators most of our lives. We met when we were both teachers in Xavier School. After we got married, she would spent the rest of her teaching life at the Ateneo Grade School. And even as I was engaged in the corporate world, I committed myself to teaching at the Ateneo Graduate School of Business. We have been part of many small groups and communities steeped in Ignatian Spirituality. In them, we found many great friends, have been inspired by their lives and commitment and have, in turn also been able to help others in their life journey.

Thank you, St. Ignatius of Loyola, for igniting the fire of God’s love in our hearts.

Jesus said to the disciples, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.“
Matthew 13:44-46
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Who Am I to Judge

Posted on July 30, 2013 by Spirit Moments

In yet another quotable moment, Pope Francis recently said: “Who am I to judge” gay people? It is very heartening how he keeps on opening doors and opportunities for dialogue with people on the outside and those on the peripheries. He is the first Pope to have washed the feet of women during the Holy Thursday rites. Recently, he declared: “A church without women would be like the apostolic college without Mary. The Madonna is more important than the apostles, and the church herself is feminine, the spouse of Christ and a mother.” At one time, he declared that even atheists can go to heaven. He is constantly challenging us to go to the peripheries and serve the poor and the needy. He has steered clear of the center of attention and the traditional trappings of his office, choosing to live in simplicity and with frugality.

It is disheartening how some would immediately reinterpret what he has said to water it down or to remove the bite in his words. “This is what he actually meant . . . .” or  “The context of what he said is this . . . ” or “Oh, but he has a conditional if in when he spoke and he was really saying . . . ”

The urge and tendency to judge others is strong in everyone, me included. We love to pass judgement. I love to categorize people and sort them into pigeon boxes. There is but one judge of us all – the Father. And ours is to learn and do the Father’s will. I pray for the grace of wisdom and knowledge to know God’s will for me, the grace strength and courage to do it and the grace of humility and gratitude to accept others as they are and not to be a judge to them.

‘The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.’
Matthew 13:36-43

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Friendship

Posted on July 29, 2013 by Spirit Moments

Today is the feast day of Martha, the sister of Mary, whose feast day we celebrated last week. Together with their brother Lazarus, here is one family that Jesus loved and was very close to. I can imagine Jesus considered their place his second home. The stories in the gospel about this family teach us what true love and friendship.

One of the reasons Jesus kept coming back to visit them must have been the food Martha always had ready for him. Martha must have been a great cook for Jesus to keep coming back for more. Jesus loved to eat to be with people and his friends. He started his ministry at a wedding. He went to the houses of even the Pharisees to have dinner with them. He called down Zacchaeus to dine at his house. And when he gave his disciples a memorial by which they would remember him, it was a supper. Filipinos love to get together and eat. It takes the slightest excuse for us to gather up and have a feast. Someone leaves and there is despedida; that someone returns and there is bienvenida. There are birthdays, anniversaries, reunions and all sorts of special days that serve as an excuse to get-together. And when we just have the urge to see one another, who needs an excuse? Friendship and love are enough reasons to come by for a visit.

The second reason Jesus kept coming back to the Bethany was Mary. Mary just loved being with Jesus and just listen to all his stories. And he had lots of them. He called them parables. Friendship is about being present to the other person. Friendship is about togetherness to share food, to share stories, sometimes just to enjoy each others presence even if no words are spoken.

The third reason is of course Lazarus. Friendship is about being there when the friend needs you the most. Lazarus died and Martha was saying that if Jesus had been there, her brother would not have died. Jesus came anyway and he brought Lazarus back to life. Friendship and love are about being in the service of the other.

A shared meal. Presence. Service. This is what true love in friendship is all about. I remember one family in Guadalupe that my fellow seminarians and I loved to visit when we were in San Carlos Seminary. We enjoyed Mamang’s cooking which was always a welcome respite from the simple seminary fare we had everyday. We loved chatting it up and singing with Marge, Ruth and Anabel. We shared stories with the brothers Edgar (RIP), Rey, Boyet and Jerry. And many of us have been helped and served by this family in more ways than one, with me even up to this very day.

A shared meal. A simple visit. An act of kindness. These may seem small and insignificant but they all have the power to change lives and even change the world.

‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.’
Matthew 13:31-35

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‘Lord, Teach Us to Pray’

Posted on July 28, 2013 by Spirit Moments

ImageThis is Spider Rock in Canyon de Chelly in Arizona. Rising some 750 feet from the canyon floor, they remind me of two arms outstretched in fervent prayers. In the midst of all the magnificent beauty and grandeur surrounding me, I am awed, humbled and thankful for the God who created all of this. In the silence and the solitude, I am not alone. I am with the Divine Presence and bask in the light and life that pervades everything around me. Like these unmoving rock monuments, I pray without ceasing, with perseverance and ever constantly. Praying is as much a part of my being as eating food is.

Everything I have asked in prayer, I have been given and received. Often, I have received more than what I have prayed for. Even things I have fondly wished for, but only secretly for I know I would be asking too much, have been given to me. Sometimes, I thought my prayers have been unanswered. But after a time, I realize I have already received what I had asked for but it only took time for me to see. Some of my most fervent prayers have been those that I have offered for others, for my family, for my friends and sometimes even for anonymous people I see praying with me in sacred places.

I have always been a searcher. I have often started out my searches with prayer. When I get to a fork on my life journey, I have always stopped and prayed. And what I have searched for, I have often found. More importantly, it is in prayer that the Lord inspires me what to search for. People often find what they search for. If one seeks for love, one finds love. If one seeks for adversity and conflict, one finds precisely these things. If one seeks for beauty and happiness, these things come around visiting. In prayer, I clarify what I want and what it is I seek.

I have opened a lot of doors in my lifetime. Many have opened whole new worlds to me. And many others have led me to great relationships. I might have opened one too many doors sometimes. But these regretful ones have been few and forgettable. In prayer, I see doors which I would have missed and have been led to many delightful ones to open. As I have progressed in prayer, I have also learned which doors not to open and which ones to leave closed.

I borrow this beautiful prayer from Søren Kierkegaard
“Father in heaven, teach us to pray in the way we ought,
so that our hearts may be open to You in prayer and invocation,
and conceal no secret desires that we know would displease You.
Also let us not anxiously fear that You would withhold from us
that which would in truth serve us best – that the thoughts that occupy our minds,
the restlessness of our spirit and the fears of our heart
may find rest where alone rest may be found:
in ever joyful gratitude and in the blissful confession
that before You we stand always in the wrong.”

‘So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.’
Luke 11:1-13

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