Second of 33 Poems by Fr. Carlos H. Abesamis
Cradled in the Bosom of the Universe
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Tagged Beauty, Poetry
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Caressed By The Moon
First of 33 Poems by Fr. Carlos H. Abesamis
Life Is For the Giving, Not the Taking
Jesus summoned them and said,
“Whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant;
whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.
Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
~ Matthew 20:26-28
In the fight for survival, one can easily be led to think that life is for the taking. But in the quest for life and its meaning, the essence of life is in the giving.
We gather food to give us sustenance. We reap from plants for our clothes and shelter. And in many instances, we take from others what we think we need to survive, even to the point of sometimes taking their lives or the livelihood.
But life is about the giving. Watch the trees give their fruits so that we can eat, the timber so we can build our houses, or their fibers so we can weave our clothes. The sun is not simply out there. it is there to give us light, warmth and energy. Without the sun giving, there would be nothing living on earth.
On the human, physical and sensual level, life starts with a release and a giving. The tumescence of my father is released and he gives out his seeds. In fact, life’s pressures and stresses are released by the giving out of the pent up energies and tensions inside us. The life thus started is then nurtured by the greatest giving in human experience, that of a mother’s love and selfless giving.
We will be most remembered for what we have given in our life, not for what we have taken.
Posted in Generosity, Life, Love
Tagged Service
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Temptations Of An Old Man
Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying,
The greatest among you must be your servant.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled;
but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
~ Matthew 23:11-12
I feel comfortable growing old. I now have the time to enjoy things I did not have time for when I was younger, like going on long walks and nature hikes; reading books I have long wanted to read; visiting friends and relatives or just keeping in touch with them; visiting places I have imagined spending time in.
But there are also temptations that I need to watch out for. Like, giving my unsolicited advice and opinion just because I believe I know better or have the experience. Or, talking about my pains and sufferings just because I think these things should not be happening to me. Or, getting preferential treatment and special attention just because of my age or stature.
I have tried to keep my needs and, even more so, my wants few and simple. I think I have generally succeeded. But there are still times I feel very needy for love and affection, craving for the need to still be needed by people I hold dear.
A good friend, who probably is struggling with the same temptations as I am, shared this prayer in his Timeline yesterday. I am making it one of my regular, if not daily, prayer:
LORD, You know I am growing older.
Keep me from becoming talkative and possessed with the idea
that I must express myself on every subject.
Release me from the craving to straighten out everyone’s affairs.
Keep me from the recital of endless detail.
Give me wings to get to the point.
Seal my lips when I am inclined to tell of my aches and pains.
They are increasing with the years and
my love to speak of them grows sweeter as time goes by.
Teach me the glorious lesson that occasionally I may be wrong.
Make me thoughtful and not nosey,
helpful but not bossy.
With my vast store of wisdom and experience i
t does seem a pity not to use it all.
But YOU know, Lord, that I want a few friends at the end.
The Real Presence
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.”
~ Matthew 16:15-16
It is amazing how the simple act making one’s bed can change a life and mold a character. In fact, soldiers spend many hours in drills and in the process they acquire discipline and learn how to listen to and follow the commands of their drill master. They go on long marches and they gain strength and stamina. These seem easy, simple and mundane tasks. But in the heat of a battle, listening to instructions, following orders, strength, stamina may mean life or death.
Yesterday, I was with some dear friends and we were talking about the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist.I shared that if we do not see Him in the ordinary, daily occurrences in our lives, it would be very difficult to see His Real Presence in a small white wafer. I love going on nature hikes. And the majesty and magnificence I experience during those hikes never fail to remind me of the Real presence of God in my life. And when I can have and enjoy such experiences, I have no trouble experiencing His Real Presence in the Eucharist. It is no longer a matter of logic or rational proof but it is an experiential and existential encounter with the God I love and believe in.
In the same way, I cannot answer the question Jesus asked of the apostles if I do not encounter him on a daily basis. “Who do you say that I am?” What am I to say if I do not even know Christ? How can I even get to know Him if I don’t even visit and stay with Him regularly? How can I know His will and plan for and with me, if we do not talk?
When I think of all these things, I begin to see that all of creation is indeed ablaze with the grandeur of God’s Presence. And everyday is a daily walk and conversation with Him.
Transfiguration
While he was praying his face changed in appearance
and his clothing became dazzling white.
~ Luke 9:29
These are the waters of Lake Kiyangan in Coron, Palawan – calm, clear, cool. So clear, I can see the clouds and the sky reflected on the water surface. So calm, I can see the fish and the corals below the surface up to the bottom of the lake. Now, isn’t that cool!
My life is like the waters of the lake. If I listen and observe and am attentive, I can see several layers and dimensions in it. I can see my life being transformed from one level and layer to another.
The clouds and the skies above remind me of the heavens and the God who created me, called me by name and chose me to be His forever. He placed the rest of creation at my disposal and use so that I can get to know Him and what He is – the source of everything good, true and beautiful I experience. This is the Faith dimension of my life.
The calm, clear and cool water surface remind me of the present here and now where I exist. Yet, in the stillness, I am continuously changing and becoming. “Behold, I make all things new.” In fact, He makes all things. “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” This is the dimension of Hope in my life. I trust in God keeping and fulfilling His words.
The depths of the waters is the dimension of Love. Love gives depth and meaning to my life. It is love that enables me to see the face and presence of my Creator in the faces and presence of people in my life, in the places and events I participate in. It is love that enables me to share in God’s work of making everything sacred – transforming what is good into something better; seeking what is beautiful and making it last longer, even for forever; searching for the truth and proclaiming its liberating power.
Love requires sacrifice if it is to be effective in transforming things and lives. It was the cross and not a magic wand that God used for us to learn the transforming power of His Love, the liberating power of Faith in Him and the trusting reward of Hope in Him.
Posted in Encounter, Faith, Photography, Presence
Tagged Doing good, Hope, Suffering
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What We Seek To Possess Already Possesses Us
“Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
~ Matthew 5:48
Everything alive seeks an energy source.
Microorganisms will strain and stretch
to get to the light and the warmth.
Plants and flowers twist and turn in whatever direction
to soak in the rays of the sun.
We too seek food to fuel our body and keep it alive.
But it is not simply life we seek.
We strive not simply to keep alive,
we also seek the fulness of that life.
We seek the light and the warmth
Not just to stay alive but there is also beauty in them.
And when we seek beauty, we seek its perfection.
Life. Light. Beauty.
There is truth to the reality of man’s existence.
We seek the depths of this truth,
but the deeper to search, the more profound it becomes.
We keep on exploring the horizon
but the horizon keeps of getting wider, bigger, farther.
In the end of all our searching, our yearning, our exploring
We discover that what we seek to possess
actually possesses us.
We realize that what we want to hold in the palm of our hands
actually holds us in His palm.
We learn that what we want to grasp and comprehend
actually envelops and enfolds us in His loving care.
Life’s Ultimate Horizon
For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
~ Matthew 5:20
All my life, U have tried to be good.
Sometimes, I succeeded. Many times, I failed.
But even in my moments of success,
there was always the better horizon that beckons to me.
Since my youth, I have been enchanted by beauty.
Ever seeking that which when sensed delights and gratifies.
Yet, there is always the siren song of even more beauty
calling out to me in the distance.
I have always sought the truth and speak it.
Sometimes painful and difficult.
Always liberating and cleansing.
But always aware that I have but a glimpse of it.
Everything changes and so do I.
Even now in my older years,
I am never the same.
I am still becoming.
I am like a tree, an old old tree.
I would make a good material for a sculptor
To coax and draw out a beautiful statue
out of the grain, the lines and bumps in my wood.
When the time comes and I finally cross the final horizon,
I shall come face to face
with the Infinite Goodness that beckons to me,
with the Absolute Beauty that will forever thrill me,
with the Total Truth that will complete me.
The Rainbow of Faith
Simple rays of light
Going through tiny water droplets
A lovely rainbow.
The believer, through Faith, is able to transform the ordinary into something extraordinary, the mundane into something magical and the petty into something pretty. With Faith, every new day becomes a wonderful present and every adversity becomes an opportunity to become better and stronger. In Faith, Christ took on the cross, the worst penalty for criminals then in the Roman Empire, and transformed it into an enduring and eternal symbol of unconditional love and great sacrifice.
~ February 17, 2012
Posted in Environment, Faith, Life
Tagged joy, Poetry, Serendipity
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Traveling Through Life
Roads are marked and planned.
Life is like the ocean, unlined.
Serendipity.
The road to hell is paved with good intentions while the path to heaven is hewed with great sufferings. Life’s fabric is woven not only out of joys and happiness but also with tears and sorrow. Suffering is part of our human lot, an essential ingredient of our existence – sometimes because of our own doing , other times because of our imperfection and still at other times because of people around us, even those whom we love. But it is suffering that makes me more human, makes my joys sweeter and my happiness deeper. It makes me a stronger, wiser, a better and a humbler person.
~ February 16, 2012
Posted in Life, Photography
Tagged Choice, Poetry, Serendipity
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