Let’s always be childlike

THAT’S what Christ wants us to be. In that gospel episode where the disciples were discussing who among them was the greatest, Christ jolted them by putting a child in their midst and said the following: 

 “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. For the one who is least among all of you is the one who is the greatest.” (Lk 9,48) 

 And if we wonder why that is so, the only answer we can think of is that having the spirit of a child, who is always simple and trusting, would enable us to accept Christ without any difficulty and to accept everybody else as well irrespective of how they are. 

 We have to be wary of losing this spirit of a child, especially as we grow in age, knowledge and experience. The ideal condition should be that the older we get, the more knowledgeable and experienced in life we become, the more childlike we should also become. Otherwise, we would surely lose our touch with Christ. 

 Yes, it always pays to be simple, humble and childlike, because as St. Paul once reminded us: “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.” (1 Cor 1,27-29) Of course, St. Peter said something similar: “God resists the proud, and gives grace to the humble.” (1 Pt 5,5) 

 Amid the complexities of our life today, we have to learn to stay humble and simple because that is the basic way to precisely handle these complexities well. When we are humble and simple, we would know how to blend openness, tolerance and versatility on the one hand, and to stick to the truth in charity on the other hand. 

 It is genuine humility and simplicity that would enable us to face the complexities of our life because these are the virtues that liken and identify us with Christ. And with Christ, we can manage to tackle anything. 

 That is why Christ said: “Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden light.” (Mt 11,29-30) 

 Of course, this is a mysterious and intriguing kind of reasoning that Christ is telling us. And that is simply because he is telling us something that is mainly spiritual and supernatural in character. He is not giving us an indication that is meant to tackle purely natural situations and predicaments. 

 We have to realize that our life does not only have material, temporal and natural dimensions. It has an eminently spiritual and supernatural character for which the spiritual and supernatural means are more important and necessary than the natural ones. 

 Humility and simplicity are the virtues that would make us acknowledge that we are nothing without God. They sort of open our soul for the grace of God to enter. And it is this grace that transforms us, irrespective of our human impotencies, mistakes and errors, into becoming children of God. 

 Let’s try our best to remain childlike always!

“Whoever is not against us is for us”

WE need to understand these words Christ addressed to the apostle John who complained that he saw someone casting out devils in Christ’s name but did not follow the apostles. (cfr. Mk 9,38) 

 Of course, Christ forbade him, telling him that no one can do a miracle in Christ’s name and would soon speak ill of Christ. Christ, in effect, was warning John and the other apostles to be wary of what may be termed as an exclusivistic mentality, a danger quite common among those who may be regarded as active in Church life, usually in the parochial level. 

 We have to be aware that in the Church there are different gifts, charisms, spiritualities and ways of doing things, all of which are meant to build up and strengthen the Church as the living, if mystical, body of Christ. We just should learn to respect each other’s charism and see how we can cooperate with them so as to make the mystical body of Christ as organic, effective and fruitful as possible.   

St. Paul, in his First Letter to the Corinthians, expressed this truth of our faith when he said: “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we are all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—ad we were all given the one Spirit to drink.” (12-13) 

 This, of course, requires us to be as open-minded as possible, an open-mindedness that can only be properly derived and developed if based on the true spirit of Christ. 

 It’s indeed good that we be faithful and loyal to the particular vocation, spirituality or charism that we have. That is a God-given gift that we should try our best to be most faithful to. We just have to see to it that such fidelity and loyalty do not prevent us from appreciating the other spiritualities, vocations and charisms within the Church. 

 More than that, we have to learn how to work in tandem and in solidarity with the other Church-approved spiritualities, no matter how different they may be from ours. In this, we have to take the initiative to know more about them and to see what we can do to be able to work with them for the good of the whole Church, since every spirituality, vocation and charism is meant for building up the Church. 

 We have to be wary of the danger of falling into some restrictive and exclusivistic lifestyle that would isolate, if not alienate, us from the others. This, sadly, is a common tendency among the many Church institutions and groups, giving rise to petty rivalries, jealousies and gossips. 

 Obviously, the higher authorities of the Church should exercise the prudence of how to orchestrate the different institutions with the different spiritualities in play. But each institution should do its part of coordinating and establishing linkages with the others. 

 There has to be mutual respect among them and the legitimate differences should be acknowledged, respected and made to work along the lines of complementation and supplementation in order to work for the common good of the Church. 

 We have to remember that no spirituality, vocation and charism has the exclusive possession of the universal essence of what is to be holy, of what true love is, etc. And every spirituality, vocation and charism is not a frozen thing, but a dynamic one, alive and always open for further enrichment, deepening and adaptation to changing circumstances.

Confidence amid the drama of life

THE Book of Ecclesiastes has a great message for us that precisely should inspire confidence in us as we go through the ocean of life that can be calm one time and rough at another time. (cfr. 3,1-11) “All things have their season, and in their times all things pass under heaven.” 

 This simply means that however things go, God is always in control. “He has made all things good in their time, and has delivered the world to their consideration, so that man cannot find out the work which God has made from the beginning to the end.” 

 This is actually a call for faith in God and to be always guided by it because even if there certainly are things and situations that we cannot understand or cope, with faith they will always work out for the good. 

 This truth of our faith has been reiterated by St. Paul in his Letter to the Romans when he said, “In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (8,28) 

 That is why it always pays to have a sporting spirit and a healthy sense of humor as we ride through the wind and waves of the ocean of life. It’s true that we should always be serious in pursuing our ultimate goal, as expressed by St. Paul again when he said in his Second Letter to Timothy, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (4,7) 

 But we know that there is always the possibility of a defeat or a loss, of frustration and disappointment. Just the same, what we should do is simply to move on. We are not expected to perfect and complete everything that we do. God will do that for us and with us, as again St. Paul told us that “he, who has begun a good work in you, will perfect it.” (Phil 1,6) 

 We should just try our best, knowing that God will do the rest, since our best will never be good enough no matter how much we try. To those who tend to be a perfectionist, you need to have humility, so you can accept calmly this fact of life. 

 We need a sporting spirit because life’s true failure can come only when we choose not to have hope. That happens when our vision and understanding of things is narrow and limited, confined only to the here and now and ignorant of the transcendent reality of the spiritual and supernatural world. 

 Besides, life involves a till-death struggle against all sorts of enemies, starting with our own treacherous self, the ever-seductive world, and most of all, the spiritual enemies who certainly are more powerful than us. 

 Finally, life involves pursuing a goal that is much greater, yes, infinitely greater than ourselves. We should not be a bad sport who gives up easily without even trying, or who surrenders in the middle of an exciting and suspenseful game. 

 We have to be sport and adventurous in facing the different conditions of our life. And it would greatly help if we too can have an abiding sense of humor. Otherwise, we would just fall into states of sadness, pessimism and despair which actually are unnecessary and are avoidable. 

 Thus, whether we win or lose in a game, succeed or fail in our adventures and projects, we can still manage to have fun and, more importantly, to learn precious lessons, as in, we get to know more about ourselves and others, about our strengths and weaknesses, about the virtues we need to develop and grow, etc.

When man becomes the worst beast on earth

THIS happens when we allow ourselves not to be guided by faith. No matter how intelligent and smart we are, if we are not guided by our Christian faith, it would just be a matter of time before we become the worst beast on earth, inflicting all kinds of evils far worse than what other animals can cause. 

 We are reminded of this scary fact of life by that gospel episode where Herod started to get disturbed by what he heard about Christ. (cfr. Lk 9,7-9) “He was greatly perplexed because some were saying, ‘John has been raised from the dead’; others were saying, ‘Elijah has appeared’; still others, ‘One of the ancient prophets has arisen.’” 

 We, of course, know how this drama would unfold. It led to the worst evil that can be committed—the killing of the very son of God who became man to save us! The animals can only do so much harm on us. But we, when we are not guided by faith, can do a lot worse things—genocide, all kinds of evil conspiracies, etc.—until we ourselves reach that point of rejecting and practically killing God in our life. 

 We need to remember that man, as designed by God our Creator, is made a rational animal, and as such, is made to make a choice of whether to enter into the supernatural life of God or to remain natural. 

 We are first an animal before we are rational. If our rationality is not guided and animated by our faith, then no matter how intelligent and smart we may be, we simply remain as animals. Sooner or later, our animality would take over, and we can become the worst animals since we can make use of our rationality to follow the urges of our animality. 

 The duty for us to take our Christian faith seriously is no joke. We really have to see to it that we are always consistent to our Christian faith, not only from day to day, but also from moment to moment, so we can achieve the real dignity God wants to give us—that is, to be his image and likeness, to be sharers of his very own life and nature. 

 This duty, of course, requires no mean effort and struggle. We need to make adjustments in the way we understand things. We need to overcome the understandable awkwardness and disbelief that we are meant to be sharers of the very life and nature of God. 

 But if we would just be humble enough and persistent in our efforts, the effects of faith and God’s grace can be felt by us. And if we try our best to be receptive and responsive to them, for sure we will see the happiest reality that indeed we are God’s children, members of his family, intimately sharing in God’s life and nature. 

 We also need to understand that through Christ, we have been given all the means we need to achieve what God wants us to be. Christ, being “the way, the truth and the life,” shows us how to deal with all possible situations in our life—the good and the bad—so we can manage to be with God. 

 We truly need to be Christ-like, to be “alter Christus,” if not, “ipse Christus.” In short, we need to be Christ, the pattern of our humanity and savior of our damaged humanity. Without him, the only possible thing for us is to be an animal. We may be intelligent and smart, but just an animal, and the worst of all animals.

Development of doctrine

FROM the Book of Proverbs (cfr. 30,5-9) which is the first reading of the Mass on Wednesday of the 25th Week in Ordinary Time, we are told that “every work of God is fire tried: he is a buckler to them that hope in him. Add not anything to his words, lest thou be reproved, and found a liar.” 

 This, of course, means that we have to be ever faithful to God’s word which was revealed, nay, embodied by Christ himself who is the very Word of God. That is why Christ is referred to in some popular parlance as the Divine Word. We should never dare to change it. 

 But then again, to be faithful to God’s word does not mean that his word is something frozen, solidified or static and does not admit of a streaming dynamic. We are told in the Letter to the Hebrews that “the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (4,12) 

 This means that the word of God will continue to show us more lights and greater and deeper understanding of things as we go along in our life. It needs to be unpacked and unboxed, its content made to be expressed in ways adapted to the varying situations in our life. 

 That is why there is such a thing as development of doctrine which means that the teaching of Christ, and now taught as doctrine of the Church, can become more detailed and explicit with the later statements of doctrine remaining consistent with earlier statements. There is some kind of continuity involved. 

 It’s not about changing the doctrine, but rather that the doctrine of Christ which should never change can develop as it impacts with the changing circumstances of the world. In a sense, development of doctrine is a progressive articulation and understanding of the same doctrine. 

 Development of doctrine is a way of adapting the same doctrine to the different circumstances and situations we can find ourselves in while still remaining consistent to its original sense and meaning. 

 Of course, the key to this dynamic and progressive fidelity to God’s word is the living and vibrant relation, nay, identification with Christ. That is to say that we have an authentic love of God which can only take place if we constantly look for Christ, find him, serve and imitate him, and making him direct and shape our daily life. 

 An example of development of doctrine is the articulation of the social doctrine of the Church. It was not directly articulated by Christ, but it definitely brings the true spirit of Christ into our social life in all its dimensions—from the family to our business and politics and to the most global aspects of our earthly life. 

 In fact, with our increasingly challenging times, it is imperative that the social doctrine be systematically taught far and wide, its corresponding virtues developed and its appropriate structures and network built up progressively. 

 Given that living the Christian spirit in our social life is most tricky, it is necessary that the Church’s social doctrine be integrally learned and assimilated. Otherwise, we’ll have a terrible mongrel that can cause more evil than good. 

 Anyway, what is truly important is that we learn to discern his presence and his constant interventions in our life. We need to develop certain practices of piety so that we also can properly and actively correspond to his constant interventions of love for us.

God’s will should rule our life

WE should never get tired of reminding ourselves of this most basic and indispensable element in our life. It’s in God’s will where we can attain our true dignity and the fullness of our humanity. That’s when we truly become God’s image and likeness as God wants us to be, and sharers of his very life and nature. 

 To live by God’s will, in the end, is what is most important to us. It’s not just following our will which is, of course, indispensable to us. Otherwise, we would be undermining our very own freedom and our humanity itself. Whatever we do is done because we want it. It should be a fruit of our freedom. 

 But what is most important is to conform our will to God’s will, which is even more indispensable to us. Otherwise, we sooner or later would destroy our freedom and our humanity itself, since God is the very author and the very lawgiver of our freedom and our humanity. 

 This is a basic truth that we need to spread around more widely and abidingly, since it is steadily and even systematically forgotten and, nowadays, even contradicted in many instances. We need to inculcate this truth to children as early as when they can understand and appreciate it. Then let’s give them the example of how it is lived. 

 God’s will is the source of everything in the universe. The whole of creation in all its existence, unity, truth, goodness and beauty starts from God’s will and is maintained by it. The entire range and scope of reality—be it material or spiritual, natural or supernatural, temporal or eternal—is “contained” there, not only theoretically but in vivo. 

 It would be absurd to believe that the whole reality can be captured by our senses and feelings alone, or by our intelligence that is working on its own and producing the arts and the sciences that we now have and that we continue to discover. 

 In this regard, it is indeed advisable that we pause from time to time to check on how we are taking things in general, on how things are developing and on how our intentions are. We know quite well that things can change in the process. What may be good at the beginning can start to stray somewhere along the way. 

 Indeed, we may start by looking for God in the things that we do, giving him glory and conforming ourselves to his will and ways. But along the way, we can start giving in to our own desires, our own will and ways. From loving God, we can easily slide to loving self. We are very notorious in this tendency. 

 That’s why we really need to pause and check ourselves often. We have to see to it that we manage to keep our proper spiritual and supernatural bearing. In other words, we have to realize that whatever we do, whatever the situation is, we somehow would still be in contact with God. Somehow everything should be a form of prayer. 

 This will require of us to develop the skill of knowing what truly comes from God and what simply are a matter of self-indulgence. We need to be very discerning and discriminating in this regard. Not everything that presents itself before our mind comes from God. It can come from other sources—our weakened flesh or concupiscence, the world and the devil himself.

We are light-bearers

WE have to be more aware of this great responsibility of ours if we are to be consistent with our Christian identity. We should not be shy or afraid to show our Christian identity to everyone. Let’s show it in such a way as to inspire others to follow and love Christ. 

 Christ himself told his disciples: “No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed; rather, he places it on a lampstand so that those who enter may see the light.” And he continued: “For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light.” 

 To top it all, he said that depending on whether we fulfill or fail to carry out this duty, there definitely would be serious consequences, for this is what Christ said in this regard: “To anyone who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he seems to have will be taken away.” (cfr. Lk 8,16-18) 

 And so, we just have to be more aware of this most important duty that is actually incumbent on everyone of us, and not just on some special people. We know that we are all interrelated, obviously not biologically that only has a limited scope, but definitely to a large extent, politically, economically, socially, etc. The fact that we all live in the same one world somehow makes us all interrelated. 

 But there’s actually a more radical basis of our interrelation. And that is that we are all creatures of God, children of his, meant to be the people and the family of God. It is a relationship that is spiritual more than material, forged by a supernatural principle and not just something natural. 

 This basic truth about ourselves gives rise to the duty that we have to help one another spiritually more than anything else. It is in our spiritual bond that actually gives rise to all our other relations with everybody else according to the different aspects of our nature. 

 This is what is meant by our duty to inspire others. Etymologically, the word ‘inspire’ means to breathe into. And it definitely is not only air that we should breathe into others. We have to breathe a spirit that in the end is nothing other than the spirit of God, who is the original inspirator. 

 Obviously, we have to see to it that that we inspire others properly. And by that, we mean that the spirit we ‘breathe into’ the others even by our mere presence or by our words and deeds, should be the spirit of God. 

 And so, the question to ask ourselves at the end of the day is whether in all our dealings and transactions, the effect of the spirit of God which is charity was made, that is, that we managed to inspire, motivate and edify others. 

 Inspiring, motivating and edifying others are certainly not a result of a mere gimmick or ploy, a fruit of one’s intelligence and cleverness alone. These can only happen when we are vitally united with God whose essence is love. These are primarily a spiritual affair, driven by divine love. 

 Thus, when we say that the others should be left inspired, motivated and edified by us in all our dealings, we need to understand that we achieve those goals always in Christ, with God’s grace, and not just by our own human powers, though all these human powers should also be harnessed at the instance of grace.

Overcoming the fear of suffering

THAT Christ already talked about his coming passion, death and resurrection should reassure us that there is no need for us to be overly worried about any suffering we can encounter in this life. (cfr. Mk 9,30-37) As long as we refer our suffering to the saving passion, death and resurrection of Christ, we are sure of salvation not only for us but also for others. 

 What we should work on in this regard is for us to learn how to refer as quickly as possible whatever suffering we have to Christ’s passion and death. That’s when we can have a more global picture of the saving role of suffering in our life. 

 If we believe in Christ and follow what he has taught and shown us, we will realize that there is nothing to be afraid of suffering and death, and all the other negative things that can mark our life. 

 He bore them himself and converted them into our way for our own salvation. Yes, even death which is the ultimate evil that can befall us, an evil that is humanly insoluble. With Christ’s death, the curse of death has been removed. “Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (1 Cor 15,54-55) 

 So, we just have to be sport and cool about the whole reality of suffering and death. What we need to do is to follow Christ in his attitude toward them. For Christ, embracing suffering and ultimately death, is the expression of his greatest love for us. We have to enter into the dynamic of this divine logic and wisdom so we can lose that fear of suffering and death. 

 We should not be afraid of suffering because if we have to be realistic about our life, I believe we need to consider that we actually need suffering and get to the bottom of this need. There’s actually a lot of meaning to it. It’s not just one whole negative part of our life. 

 In fact, the ideal attitude toward suffering is to welcome it, since in the first place, it cannot be avoided no matter how much we try. We have to cultivate a more positive outlook toward it and relish its inherent benefits for us. 

 For this, we need to discover and appreciate the link between suffering and loving. The two need not go against each other. In fact, they have to go together if we want our suffering to be meaningful and fruitful. And we have a way to do that. 

 By uniting our suffering with the passion and death of Christ on the cross, the vital link between suffering and loving is established. The sting of suffering and death is removed, and the guarantee of our resurrection and our victory over death, sin and all forms of evil that cause us suffering is made. 

 We just have to learn to be sport about our unavoidable condition of suffering in this life and adapt the proper attitude and reactions that should be inspired by our Christian faith. We have to educate our senses, feelings and emotions according to the indications of our faith and the recourse to the sacraments. By developing a life of authentic piety, we can hack it. 

 Indeed, there can be joy in suffering only if we identify ourselves with Christ. With Christ, suffering becomes an act of selfless love that can take on anything. Only in him can we find joy and meaning in suffering. With him, suffering loses its purely negative and painful character, and assumes the happy salvific character.

The push for synodality

THAT gospel episode where Christ with his 12 apostles journeyed from one town to another preaching, and accompanied by some women, one of whom was Mary Magdalene who had a colorful past, and the others who were generous enough to share their resources for the mission of Christ, (cfr. Lk 8,1-3) somehow reminds us that as much as possible everybody should be involved in keeping the life and mission of the Church going. 

 This is what, I believe, synodality, as is now pushed in the Church, is all about. It’s a welcome development that should be sustained all the time. It surely will help the Church vibrant as it should be, and focused on its true mission. 

 Of course, involving everyone as much as possible does not mean that everyone has the same function and role. It does not take away the hierarchical character of the Church which is fundamental in its life and nature, since the Church as founded by Christ was established that way. 

 The Pope, the bishops and the clergy have the chief function as head of the Church, holding the office of Priest, Teacher and King in the very person of Christ. The rest of the faithful somehow participate in these offices in their own way as members of the body of the Christ, the Church. 

 Synodality may arouse more the charismatic character of the Church as it would stimulate the different charisms and gifts that the different members of the Church may have. These charisms and gifts, bestowed by the Holy Spirit for some specific purposes, should be properly recognized and used as fully as possible. 

 Definitely, to sustain the spirit of synodality, constant pastoral care should be made. A program of reaching out to everyone should be in place. In fact, an appropriate structure in the different levels of the Church should be established. 

 Let’s remember that we are all meant to be apostles of Christ with the lifelong concern for doing apostolate, taking advantage of all the occasions and situations in life to do so. This truth of our faith, I believe, would be highlighted in this push for synodality. 

 As Vatican II teaches us, “The Christian vocation is by its very nature a vocation to the apostolate.” (Apostolicam actuositatem, 2) So, anyone who wants to be truly consistent to his Christian identity should realize ever deeply that he is called to help others get closer to God. Synodality can reinforce this truth on everyone. 

 Given the state of affairs of the world today, we have to understand that while we always have to give special apostolic attention to the traditional mission lands which usually are far-away places with primitive cultures, we should not forget that today’s peripheries are the mainstream society that is drifting away from God and religion. 

 In this regard, it behooves us to truly immerse ourselves in the complexities of the lives of these new peripheries and new mission lands. We have to disabuse ourselves from the thought that to be missionaries, we have to be priests or nuns. Everyone, especially the laity, has to be a missionary. 

 Today’s missionaries should be in the world of business and politics, in the fields of the sciences, arts and technologies, in the academe, offices, streets and farms, in sports, fashion and recreation, etc. In other words, where the people are they should also be there, tackling with everyone else the spiritual and moral issues and challenges of the times, finding ways of sanctifying everything and leading everyone and the world to God.

Our sinfulness can occasion great love for God

THIS is the lesson we can draw from that gospel episode where sinful woman just barged into a party where Christ was and started to offer him a special homage which Christ valued more than what the judgmental host did for him. (cfr. Lk 7,36-50) 

 Let’s listen to the reasoning of Christ to his host: 

 “When I entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet, but she has bathed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she anointed my feet with ointment,” Christ reproached his host. 

 Then came the clincher: “So, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; hence, she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.” 

 The lesson to learn here is that no matter how many and how grave our sins are, as long as we show signs of repentance, we will always be assured of forgiveness, and that very special favor we received from God can stir in us a love that matches the quantity and gravity of our sins. That is, the more sins we commit and the graver they are, the greater the love for God can come as a consequence. 

 In other words, though we should try our best to avoid sinning, we cannot deny that one way or another, sooner or later, we all fall into sin. As St. John in his First Letter would put it, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” (1 Jn 1,8) 

 And yet, in spite of that condition, we are assured of God’s ever-ready and abundant mercy. Thus, it is actually senseless to think that we cannot be forgiven. In fact, we can take advantage of our sinfulness by imitating the example of that sinful woman cited above who due to her sinfulness generated a love greater than that of those who may not be as sinful and may feel less driven to love God. 

 St. Paul puts it this way in his Letter to the Romans: “Where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Rom 5,20-21) 

 The point to make here is that we should not waste time rotting in feelings of guilt and alienation from God and others since God is eager to forgive us and our sinfulness can occasion a very special kind of love, stronger and deeper this time. 

 We should not over-react to our sinfulness which is unavoidable in our life. What we should immediately do is to go to God, asking for forgiveness, promising some amendment and reparation for our sins, and when able, to go to confession. Instead, we should make our sinfulness and the mercy accorded to us a stronger motive to love God and others in return. 

 Let’s never forget that God is always a father to us. He will always understand us and do everything to help us. Before him, we are like little children who cannot avoid making a mess around. Let’s remember that we have to contend not only with our own weaknesses, but also with powerful evil spiritual enemies. 

 And like God, let us learn how to draw good from evil.

Guided by faith always

GIVEN the fact that we are not meant to remain only in the natural level, relying simply on our human powers, but rather are meant to enter and share the supernatural life of God since we are his image and likeness, we have to be clear that we have to be guided by faith rather than simply our own reasoning and our other human ways of knowing. 

 Faith is God sharing his knowledge with us. It is how we begin to share the life of God. And he gives it to us very willingly. It just depends on us on whether we receive it or not, and to respond to it or not. 

 Faith contains truths that go beyond the natural realities of our life. Thus, it has supernatural truths or mysteries which we have to learn to feel at home with. This means we have to learn not to stick to our natural reasoning alone, but to go beyond it. 

 To be sure, faith does not supplant our reasoning or intelligence. Rather, it makes full use of it, although its scope is far wider and deeper than what our intelligence can fully know and understand. 

 As the Catechism puts it, faith is first of all a gratuitous gift of God, it is grace. But it also requires the correspondence of our intelligence. It is also a human act. It asks us to do our best to understand it as much as we can. It seeks understanding. 

 Besides, though faith is above reason, there can never be any real discrepancy between faith and reason, since it is the same God who reveals mysteries and infuses faith in us and who also bestows the light of reason on the human mind. He cannot contradict himself. (cfr. CCC 156-159) Thus, faith and human science cannot contradict with each other, though the latter cannot cope with what the former teaches and shows. 

 We have to remember that since the reality that governs us transcends the natural order, our human faculty of intelligence and reasoning just cannot depend on the data provided by our senses and our own understanding of things. 

 Otherwise, we will be trapped in our own world that does not jibe anymore with the reality meant for us. This is especially observable in the world of politics where partisan and ideological interests get so strong as to go to the extent of pushing all kinds of fallacies and blatant falsehoods, supported by so much rhetoric and theatrics, that even clear immoralities like divorce, abortion, atheism, etc. can be espoused and legalized. 

 Our reason needs to be guided by faith. In that regard, we need to be humble enough to acknowledge the need of our reason for the guidance of faith. That’s because no matter how perceptive and intelligent we are, we can always detect that there is another world that is beyond the sensible and the intelligible. This is the world where our senses and intelligence cannot anymore cope. 

 This is where we need to humble ourselves, a predicament that many of us find hard to resolve. We tend to hold on only to our own ideas and the facts and data that we can manage to gather, guided mainly by our senses and intellect. In short, we make our own selves, and to be more specific, our own senses and intellect, to be our own sole guide, our own god. 

 We have to do something drastic about this. And the first thing we should do is to feel the need for God from whom all of us and the entire creation come and to whom we all belong.

Training ourselves to have Christ’s compassionate heart

THIS should be one goal we should try our best to pursue and train ourselves for. Given the human condition we have in this world, hounded by all sorts of challenges, trials and difficulties, we should just try our best, with God’s help, of course, to be of help to others despite the cost it may involve. 

 We should just have a strong faith in Christ’s ever-ready assistance in this regard. Let’s remember that we cannot be Christ-like as we should be if we do not have the very compassionate heart of Christ. 

 While it’s true that we have to be prudent in our actuations, we should not either forget that following Christ will always involve self-denial, carrying the cross, all of which can be translated into our willingness to give whatever we can even if in the process we ourselves and those with us—our family, especially—would suffer some loss. 

 Let’s always remember that Christ has given us the best deal, such that whatever may appear as a loss to us because of following and loving him will always redound to a much greater gain later on. 

 Compassion starts in the heart, in our thoughts and desires. In this level, there is no limit in what we can do. Obviously, when we try to translate these prayers, thoughts and desires into action and material things, we can be greatly limited. But insofar as prayers and sacrifices are involved, the possibilities are unlimited. 

 We need to examine ourselves more deeply to see if indeed we are always thinking, praying and wishing others well. We have to be wary of our tendency to let our thoughts and desires be dictated only by self-interest, usually done in a most subtle but effective way. For this, we have to do regular examinations of conscience. 

 We have to expand our heart to be make it more universal, as well as broaden our mind so we can understand different people and different things more deeply and extensively. And this even if those involved are very different from us. 

 Let’s examine ourselves more thoroughly so as to be more aware of our biases and preferences that can get in the way of our effort to adapt and our pursuit for a more universal compassion. Let’s train ourselves how to rise above our unavoidable biases and preferences if only to be of help to others. 

 We have to learn how to go through the process of changing, improving and growing in our spiritual life. This can be painful and tedious, but it is always worthwhile. Not only that. It is necessary, if we have to be realistic. We should just think of what Christ has promised us if we are willing to make sacrifices for others. 

 Compassion should not be exclusively associated with the sweet and tender moments of pity, sympathy and empathy. It demands sacrifice and self-denial which we should be willing to give. In fact, if there is no sacrifice involved, we should be suspicious if we are truly compassionate. 

 For this, we have to be willing to complicate our life. There surely will be some need for adjustments in our attitudes, in the way we understand things and view different kinds of people. We have to hone up our skills at versatility, which should not only be a matter of theatric performance but rather that of genuine love for God and for souls.

Interceding for others

WE should develop this practice. Given the truth of our faith that we all form a communion of saints in Christ and in the Church, we should realize that we are so connected with each other that we, with our prayers, sacrifices and good works—can always affect the lives of others hopefully for the good rather than for evil. 

 This truth of our faith is highlighted in that gospel episode where a centurion sent some people to ask Christ to heal his dying servant. (cfr. Lk 7,1-10) When Christ was approaching the centurion’s house, the centurion asked Christ not to bother to go the house for he felt unworthy of Christ’s presence in his abode. Instead, he asked Christ just to say the word of healing, thereby expressing the power of faith in the word of Christ. 

 That’s when the famous lines, that inspired a prayer in the Holy Mass, were uttered: “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof. Therefore, I did not consider myself worthy to come to you; but say the word and let my servant be healed.” To which Christ was so impressed that right there and then, the centurion’s servant was cured. 

 Yes, we should be eager and quick to help and intercede for others. We should never be indifferent to the needs of others even if we have our own needs and predicaments. Actually, our attitude of interceding for others has a way of resolving or at least of giving some relief to our own problems and difficulties. 

 Our own problems and difficulties should not be a hindrance in our eagerness to intercede for the others. In fact, we should make use of our own predicaments to spur us to get more involved in the lives of others. By so doing, we would actually simplify our life, not complicate it. 

 We very likely would ask, how can that be when we already are burdened by our own problems? And the answer can be that this outlook in life and attitude to our problems can be the practical application of what Christ himself said and encouraged us to do: “Whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.” (Mt 16,25) 

 The same divine logic can be found in these other words of Christ: “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” (Lk 6,38) 

 Our eagerness to intercede for others should be based on our faith and love for God. It should never be just a product of mere human calculations. We have to follow what Christ has taught and shown us. 

 To be sure, we always have the capacity to intercede because even if we can be very limited in helping others materially, our capacity to help others spiritually is unlimited. We can always pray for them, offer sacrifices for them. That’s the least that we can do for others but also the most indispensable. 

 We need to train ourselves and form our mind and heart to immediately be mindful and thoughtful of them, getting to know them better, empathizing with them, helping them bear with their burdens, whatever they may be.

With Christ, we become invincible

WE should have no doubt about this truth of our faith. Christ himself said, “Whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it.” (Mk 8,35) There is no greater loss we can have in this life than the loss of our life. But if we lose it for Christ’s sake, we are assured of saving it. In St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans, the same assurance is made. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” he said. (8,31) 

 It’s important that we develop this kind of confidence based on this assurance of Christ. We should feel strongly and constantly the presence and power of Christ in our mind and heart. It’s actually when we fail to feel that presence and power that we become easy target to our weaknesses and the temptations around. 

 Our problem is that we tend simply to rely on our own powers which are no match even to our own weaknesses, much less, to the evil spirits around. Remember St. Paul warning us: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Eph 6,12) 

 But with Christ, we can conquer everything that is not good for us. Yes, we can conquer even death, as St. Paul himself assured us: “If we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.” (Rom 6,8) 

 Let us work on how we can have Christ’s presence and power strongly felt in us. That is the ideal condition for us to have since we have to deal with all sorts of difficulties, challenges, trials, temptations, weaknesses, etc. in this life. 

 When we are tempted, it only means that we have been giving an opening to this temptation since we have failed to be with Christ. Thus, when temptations come, we should enliven Christ’s presence and power in us, perhaps by making many acts of faith and other ejaculatory prayers. That way we will feel strong and ready to face temptations, eager even to do some hand-to-hand combat with the temptations, if needed. 

 We need to see to it that our union with Christ should, as much as possible, be abiding, completely sealed with no opening, no matter how minuscule, that can allow our weaknesses, the sinful allurements of the world and the devil himself to enter. 

 Only with Christ can we be keenly aware of the many dangers that lurk within us and around us. Only with him can we immediately and strongly resist the temptations and be unaffected by our weaknesses and the sins around. 

 In other words, we really need how to pray always. This means we have to know how to convert everything into prayer, always relating everything to Christ—our joys and sorrow, our work and rest, our successes and defeats, etc. Yes, everything can and should be a material and occasion to pray. 

 We should be in constant awareness of Christ’s presence in us and around us. And our relation with him should be driven by love, by our desire to be with him and to do his will. We have to feel the need for him. In fact, he should be our greatest need, without whom we should feel completely empty. Nothing should replace or substitute for him in our mind and heart. We need him more than we need air.

Following Christ

WHEN Christ said that no blind man should lead another blind man, since both of them would just fall sooner or later, and that no disciple is greater than his master and can only be perfect when he is like his master, (cfr. Lk 6,39-42) we are clearly reminded that we have to follow Christ in everything we do. Christ himself said that he is “the way, the truth and the life.” (Jn 14,6) Outside of him, we would simply be in trouble. 

 We just have to realize more deeply that finding Christ in everything we do everyday, making him alive in our mind and heart the whole day, and following him closely, is our daily challenge we face and task to carry out. 

 Is this possible and doable? Definitely! In the first place, Christ is everywhere and, more than that, he looks at us with great affection and solicitude. He always intervenes in our life, enlightening us, guiding us, and helping us in all our needs. 

 He is everywhere. We have to overcome the idea that Christ can only be present in churches or that he can only be accessed when we do some spiritual and liturgical exercises. Let’s not forget that even in the most mundane and technical things we handle, Christ is right there in the middle, since everything that exists can only exist if God in Christ through the Holy Spirit is right in the very core of it. 

 We cannot say, for example, that just because we are dealing with very technical things, God would not be there or that he has nothing to do with these things. Let’s remember that God is the author and creator of everything. All we do with respect to our sciences and technologies is simply to discover what God has designed for them and to make use of them, as commanded also by God who asks us to “subdue the earth.” 

 We just have to properly act on this basic truth of our faith, being as receptive and responsive to it as we can. In other words, even as we immerse ourselves deeply in the things of this world, we should never lose sight of God. We have to develop a certain spirit and lifestyle that can be described as contemplative, so that we can manage to see God and do his will as we go through our worldly and temporal affairs. 

 Thus, given the increasingly pressing conditions of the world today and the permanent, ultimate and most precious goal of ours, we really need to be more serious and more skillful in synergizing both the active and contemplative modes of our life. 

 Yes, we have to be immersed and get involved as much as we can in all our worldly affairs, attending to their requirements as promptly and actively as possible. But we also have to see to it that we do not lose sight of what is most important in our life—to be with God and to aim at heaven. “What does it profit a man” Christ said, “if he gains the whole world but loses his own soul?” (Mk 8,36) 

 We need to be both with God and with the world. These two modes of our life need not be in conflict. They can and should be put together to enable us to live a life that is proper to us as persons and as children of God. We have to learn to find the connection between the material and spiritual aspects of our life, between the temporal and eternal, the mundane and the sacred. And the only way to achieve that is to follow Christ!

The true test of Christianity

I BELIEVE it’s when we manage to love our enemies that we can truly say we are real Christians. That’s because we can only do that when we truly identify ourselves with Christ. 

 It definitely is an identification that does not take place on the natural level alone but mainly in the supernatural ways of Christ who is God in the first place who became man to enable us to attain our true dignity as children of God, created in his image and likeness. 

 Christ said this very clearly. “For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them,” Christ said. Then he proceeded by saying: “But rather, love your enemies…and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as also your Father is merciful.” (Lk 6,32.35) 

 To be able to love our enemies can only be an effect of grace. It can only take place when we truly are identified with Christ. We simply cannot rely on our human powers alone. Our human powers have to be animated by the very grace of God. 

 Thus, when we find ourselves in situations where we have to contend with some enemies or conflicts, let’s remember that the first thing to do is to go to Christ, to ask for grace, to make our identification with him even tighter. 

 This obviously will require a lot of virtues—humility, patience, magnanimity, fortitude, to mention a few. We have to learn how to discipline our emotions and passions, and to be most careful with what we say. We have to be quick to purify our thoughts and intentions whenever some negative elements enter into them. 

 Let’s remember that the greatest evil and the worst injustice have already been committed, and that is the killing of Christ by man. But such evil and injustice did not elicit another evil reaction from Christ. On the contrary, he offered forgiveness. We do not correct a wrong with another wrong. As one saint would put it, we have to drown evil with an abundance of good. 

 Everytime we are confronted with this challenge of loving our enemies, we are actually being invited to become more and more like Christ. We are given an opportunity to enter into the supernatural life, nature and ways of God that are also meant for us since we are God’s image and likeness. 

 This is the challenge we have to face—how to free ourselves from the controlling grip of our senses and reasoning, of our own human consensus and estimations of things, and to let ourselves be guided by the mysterious ways of our faith, full of wisdom and charity albeit always accompanied by sacrifices. 

 This would require nothing less than God’s grace which we can always safely presume is given to us freely and abundantly. What we have to demand on ourselves is a lot of humility, of simplicity and obedience. Pride makes us deaf and blind, insensitive to the ways of God, and makes us our own guide, instead of God. 

 To be sure, if we follow this commandment, we would be loving God and others the way Christ himself has loved his Father and all of us. 

It’s a love that is totally inclusive on the part of the lover, though it may be rejected by the beloved. It’s a love that would convert and transform us into another Christ, if not Christ himself (alter Christus, ipse Christus), for love, the real love that comes from God, has that power of making the lover united and identified with the beloved.

Divine assurance of victory

THAT was clearly spelled out for us in the Beatitudes as articulated by Christ. (cfr. Lk 6,20-26) As long as we believe and live out what Christ taught, whatever human disaster, disadvantage and inconvenience as viewed according to human and worldly standards can be converted into a source of joy, a means of our redemption, a path to heaven, narrow and difficult though it may be. 

 The Beatitudes expand our understanding of what would comprise as our true happiness by including those situations which we normally regard as unsavory and therefore to be avoided as much as possible and hated. 

 The Beatitudes is Christ’s way of telling us not to be afraid of any cross in our life, of whatever evil can come to us. As long as we tackle them together with Christ, these negative things in our life will in fact be a source of joy and peace for us, for it is through them that we would attain our own salvation and that of many others. 

 We, therefore, have to learn to lose any fear of the cross. That instinct of ours to be afraid and to flee from the cross has to be reversed, and made into an instinct of love for the cross. 

 This may take time and effort, this may require a lot of thinking and discipline, this may involve some drastic and even painful adjustments in our understanding of things, but it is all worthwhile to do so. 

 When we lose the fear of the cross and develop the love for it instead, we would have the proper light to guide us in our life here on earth. Not only that, we can have the invincible peace and joy that is proper to us as persons and as children of God. 

 There’s really no reason to be too worried and anxious when we encounter some difficulty in our life. In fact, we have every reason to be confident and at peace, focused on what we are supposed to do. And that’s because we are always in God’s hands. 

 Whatever situation we may be in, we can be sure that God will always provide for what is truly needed by us, and it may not be what we want. We just have to trust him completely for he knows better than we do, and what we want may not be what we need. It may not even be what is good for us. 

 God always knows what to do in any situation we may find ourselves in. He may allow some evil to come to us, an evil that can do us no harm unless we let it, but God knows how to draw good from evil. 

 Ours is simply to trust God completely, and out of that trust, we should always feel confident and courageous to do what we are supposed to do. We should not waste our time lamenting and feeling like a victim, or wallowing in doubts, passivity and self-pity. 

 We have to remove ourselves from that state mentioned by St. Paul in his Letter to the Ephesians: “children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the cunning of men, by their craftiness in deceitful wiles.” (4,14) We have to move on. There are a lot of things we need to do. 

 It’s important that we be confident and at peace always, because that would put us in the proper condition to do the things we are supposed to do. It will make us bold and courageous, fruitful and productive.

We need to pray

IT’S amazing that Christ had to excuse himself from his very busy schedule in order to pray. He is God himself. He should have no need to pray. But as the gospel many times say, he had to go somewhere to talk to the Father. 

 As the gospel narrates, “Jesus departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God.” (Lk 6,12) Why did he have to pray, we might ask. And the answer, to be blunt about it, is nothing other than that Christ is also man who needs to be always in vital and constant connection with his divinity. 

 He is actually showing us that we as man, created in the image and likeness of God, and meant to share in the life and nature of God, also need to be vitally and constantly connected with God. And this is what prayer is all about. 

 Prayer is the most basic thing we ought to do to be with God who is be-all and end-all of our whole existence. All the other necessities we have can only be attended to properly when this need for prayer is first met. Otherwise, everything else would just be waste of time. 

 We need to pray, and at these times, we need to pray more than ever, given the increasingly deteriorating conditions of humanity. Prayer, of course, is our sublime act of worship, of thanksgiving, of asking for pardon and favors. It is what keeps us spiritually alive, vitally connected with our Lord, and in a very mysterious way what keeps us properly linked to everyone else. 

 What eating, drinking and breathing do to our physical organism, is what prayer does to our spiritual soul which is the more important component of our humanity. It animates us, since it exercises our faith, hope and charity that are the lifeblood of our soul. Without these theological virtues, we would just get lost in life, left kaput spiritually and morally. 

 When we pray, we dispose ourselves to receive the wisdom and power of God, so important as we cruise through our very confusing world and contend with the frailties of our flesh, the wiles and temptations of the devil, the sweet but deadening allurements of the world. 

 The challenges of the times simply urge us to pray even more. A quick look around already gives us very sobering thoughts and compelling appeals for prayer. 

 If understood and done properly, praying actually gives us joy always. It enables us to see and understand things better. More importantly, it helps us to have a glimpse of God's will, where everything starts and is governed and led to its proper end. 

 Praying processes and finds the answers to all our needs. In good times and bad times, when we are healthy or sick, when we enjoy successes or suffer defeats or are tempted, praying comes as our natural way of coping with everything that our spiritual life needs just like breathing does with our bodily needs. 

 To those who are afraid that praying just gets in the way of our human activities and concerns, the contrary is true. If anything at all, praying tremendously helps us in putting our activities and concerns in another level so they acquire a spiritual, moral and supernatural value, which is proper to us, since we are God's image and likeness, and children of his. 

 This truth should be spread out quite widely these days, since many now are the factors and elements that tend to deny the indispensability of prayer in our life.

Rash judgments, detraction, calumny

THEY often go together and we are very much prone to them. Thus, we have to be properly guarded, training ourselves to practice restraint and to be quick to rectify once we fall into them. 

 We are reminded of this phenomenon in that gospel episode where the usual critics of Christ were observing closely whether Christ would cure a man with a withered hand. (cfr. Mk 6,6-11) They really did not know who Christ really was, and thus branded Christ as a violator of their man-made beliefs, laws and traditions. 

 Rash judgment is when one assumes as true without sufficient foundation, the moral fault of another person. Detraction is the unjust violation of the good reputation of another person by revealing something true but confidential about him. While calumny or slander is when what is imputed about a person is not true. 

 These moral anomalies usually come about when people indulge in what may be considered as a popular pastime, which is gossiping. To gossip is at least bad manners. If ever we have to talk about somebody with some of our friends, only nice, edifying things should be said. 

 We actually have no right to say negative things about others for the simple reason that the ones concerned would have no chance to explain and defend themselves and those talked to usually do not have any way to do anything about those negative things, since they have nothing to do with the persons gossiped about. 

 We have to be most careful when in a conversation the topic would touch about a certain person who is not there. If the tone is not positive, the most likely thing to happen is that the conversation will turn into backbiting and mudslinging. The temptation is usually strong, and many find it irresistible. 

 Even if the negative things said of a person are true, it is still wrong to gossip because that would be a form of detraction. It would still go against the commandment of charity which has as its finer points the demands of magnanimity, compassion, mercy, understanding, etc. 

 But what usually happens in that hush-hush tone of gossips is that the negative things said are not true or are already compromised, what with all the exaggerations and distortions and the voicing of biases and prejudices that are typical of gossips. In this case, one would commit calumny or slander which is a more serious offense against a person. 

 Gossips encourage rash judgments, silly loquacity and reckless considerations of persons. They actually dehumanize gossipers. They spoil the tongue by letting it have its way without the proper guidance of right reason, let alone, charity. 

 Especially nowadays when we are into rapid communication, we have to be most careful with the words we are using. Words, which are a staple in our exchanges with one another and have great power of influence, need to be handled properly. 

 Their quality both reflects and builds up the kind of person and society we are. We just have to make sure then that they do us what is truly good, that they contribute to the common good. We have to develop a keener sense of responsibility over them even as we grow in our sense of freedom in using them. 

 Sad to say, many now are the indications we are abusing the use of words. Gossips and idle talks are now going viral. All forms of defamation, whether of the detraction type or that of calumny, are spreading like wildfire. 

 Loquacity seems to be the rule of the road nowadays, dumping us with all kinds of exaggerations, reckless words and stray insinuations.

Treating everyone equally in different ways

WE are reminded of this duty in the second reading of the Mass of the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B. It’s from the Letter of St. James (2,1-5) There, St. James talks about the discrimination one practices when he treats a rich man with a lot of favor and privilege while asking the poor man to sit by the footstool. 

 Of course, to fulfill this duty is not easy, given our wounded human condition. But we can always do something about it. And the first thing to remember is that irrespective of our differences and conflicts, we are all brothers and sisters, all children of God. We are meant to love and care for one another. 

 This does not mean that we have to treat everybody in the same way. That we are all equal in the eyes of God does not mean that we have to treat everyone in the same way. What is meant is that we should love everyone, but according to how one is. 

 Like, the way you deal with an elderly person would be different from the way we deal with a youngster, or a child, or a baby. But it is the same love that we should give them. 

 In this regard, it is important that as much as possible we learn to really know each one we deal with. Our dealings should always be personalized, not mechanical or generic. This will require of us a certain open-mindedness that would enable us to be adaptive to how others are and to be versatile in our dealings with them. 

 For this, we should be ready to deal with the unavoidable differences and conflicts that we can have with others. In fact, we should be welcoming to them for they can occasion further development of virtues and deepen our capacity to live charity as expected of us. 

 Our differences and conflicts can give rise to the development of patience and compassion, and the pursuit for the truth and justice is guaranteed to be more authentic even if it is also arduous. 

 They can actually expand our world of knowledge and understanding, and trigger the dynamics of a more meaningful unity among ourselves, not in spite of but rather because of our differences and conflicts. The unity we are speaking of here is not uniformity, but one that is richly nuanced and capable of accommodating everyone. 

 Most importantly, they can give a tremendous growth in our spiritual life, freeing us from being at the mercy of our personal, earthly and temporal conditions. They contribute greatly in our effort to make ourselves more and more like Christ who is the pattern of our humanity and the savior of our damaged humanity. 

 Our differences and conflicts are a fact of life. They can spring from all kinds of sources—temperament, culture, socio-economic and political status. There are racial and religious differences, etc. 

 These differences and conflicts must be part of our human condition and are an integral element in the providence of God over all of us. We just have to learn to live with them and try our best to use them according to God’s providence. The general pattern of how to live and make use of them is given to us by Christ himself who had to go through the most extreme kind of difficulty and conflict. 

 We may sort them out to simplify things a bit, but we should never think that there will come a time when there will be no differences and conflicts among ourselves. Instead, what we have to do is to refer them to Christ to have an idea of how to handle them.

Continuous adaptation without getting lost

GIVEN the rapid developments all over the world, we are faced with the big challenge of how to adapt ourselves to them without getting lost. Definitely, we are in for a very rough ride here, and we should just learn how to manage, not minding so much the unavoidable errors and the demand of the usual “blood, sweat and tears.” 

 We are reminded of this duty in that gospel episode where some of the usual critics of Christ compared the disciples of John the Baptist with those of Christ. (cfr. Lk 5,33-39) “The disciples of John the Baptist fast often and offer prayers, and the disciples of the Pharisees do the same,” they said. “But yours eat and drink.” 

 That’s when Christ told them, “Can you make the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them?” And then he made this simple explanation as a way of how to do the proper adaptation due to varying circumstances: “No one tears a piece from a new cloak to patch an old one. Otherwise, he will tear the new and the piece from it will not match the old cloak.” 

 The ability to face the challenge of continuous adaptation without getting lost starts with anchoring ourselves firmly and deeply on Christ. He is the embodiment of perfect adaptation without getting lost. 

 Being God he became man. He tried his best to identify himself with our sinful condition by becoming like sin without committing sin just to save us. (cfr. 2 Cor 5,21) He perfectly fits what St. Paul once said about being all things to all men. (cfr. 1 Cor 9,22) 

 We cannot deny that there are just so many things to orchestrate and to put into some kind of organic whole, with due attention to the priorities given to each item. We cannot deny that along the way, we often get entangled with some distractions that can get so bad as to hook us in some form of addiction and obsession. 

 This does not mean that we should close ourselves from these developments taking place like a fish that tries to avoid the murky waters by staying away from the waters. Of course, we should try our best to avoid the so-called near occasions of sin, but given the necessity of getting involved in the current developments of the world, we just have to learn how to do the appropriate maneuvering. 

 Yes, we cannot avoid getting dirty along the way. We would always be hounded by temptations that would coddle our weaknesses. Falls, mistakes and sins are likely to happen. But that’s the challenge we have to face. Those falls can be the occasion to learn and grow in the appropriate skills and virtues. 

 We just have to learn how to be tough, never giving up in spite of the falls and errors, since God, with his mercy, will always clean us if we would just bother to go to him and to be with him as much as possible. 

 What can help is for us to be constantly aware of the ultimate purpose of our life here on earth and to pursue it with as much zeal as we can muster. We can say that the more zealous we are in pursuing that goal, the less problem we would have in terms of living order amid the confusing developments. 

 Deviations from the pursuit of that purpose can always take place. But we should just try our best to be quick to correct those deviations, no matter how slight.

Always mindful of God’s primal will for us

WE should always keep in mind God’s original will for us and do everything we can to fulfill that will of his. We should help one another to be aware of this fundamental condition of our life and to be faithful in effectively living by that condition. 

 We are reminded of this truth of our faith in that gospel episode where Christ, after preaching by the lakeside, told Peter and companions to go to the deep and pay out their nets for a catch. (cfr. Lk 5,1-11) 

 At first, Peter was hesitant because he failed to catch anything the previous night, but later on he corrected himself and did what he was told. And, behold, he caught a huge amount of fish to his utter consternation. 

 This episode somehow reminds us that irrespective of the conditions we may have in life, we should not forget to pursue what really is God’s first will for us. And that can only be our own sanctification and our duty to help build up the Church, the People of God, the Mystical Body of Christ. 

 This will of God is for all of us, irrespective who and how we are in the world. This will is not only for priests or some consecrated religious people or some special people. It is for everyone, although pursued in different ways according to our different conditions and state in life. 

 The laity should not feel that they are some kind of second class citizens in the Church and that they play only a minor role in the life and mission of the Church. They are called to be holy and to be apostolic just as much as the priests and the religious people are. 

 The late Pope, now Saint, John Paul II once said: “Everyone in the Church shares the common vocation to holiness. The lay faithful are called, in full title, to this common vocation, without any difference with respect to the other members of the Church.” 

 In fact, the Code of Canon Law clearly says: “From their rebirth in Christ, there exists among all the Christian faithful a true equality regarding dignity and action by which all cooperate in the building up of the Body of Christ according to each one’s own condition and function.” (Canon 208) 

 For the laity, their responsibility in the Church lies in their duty to humanize and Christianize the secular world in all its aspects. Thus, the Code of Canon Law says that: 

 “According to each one’s own condition, they are also bound by a particular duty to imbue and perfect the order of temporal affairs with the spirit of the gospel and thus to give witness to Christ, especially in carrying out these same affairs and in exercising secular functions.” (Canon 225.2) This is no mean responsibility for which the laity should be properly trained. 

 We have to make this primal will of God for us known by everyone as early as possible. At the moment, what we see is a large-scale ignorance and indifference to this truth of our Christian faith in the world. 

 Let’s see to it that the education and formation given to people, especially the young ones, by the different institutions, from the families to schools, etc., should give emphasis to this primal will of God for us. 

 Now that the world is rapidly evolving, with so many issues and challenges coming up, we should give due attention to this primal will of God for us!

Why we can afford to be always confident

WHY? Because Christ is always around and is ever ready to help us in all our needs. Perhaps not always in the way we want it, but to be sure, he always cares for us even if we feel we do not deserve to be helped by him. 

 We have to train ourselves to have this constant awareness of this truth of our faith, of which we are reminded in that gospel episode where he cured the sick mother-in-law of St. Peter and drove away demons who were possessing a number of people. Big crowds followed him and even wanted to prevent him from leaving them. (cfr. Lk 4,38-44) 

 In this regard, I believe the thing to do is to strengthen our faith and to keep our piety vibrant for only then can we manage to make Christ’s constant solicitude and care over us effective in our life. With this condition, we can afford to be hopeful and confident. 

 With this condition, we can be like a good sportsman who would always train himself for his sport and play the game bent on winning though losses can also take place, and yet would still go on playing his game. 

 With that attitude, marked by confidence and courage, we can continue becoming a better person who even knows how to take advantage of our defects and defeats, our weaknesses and limitations as a launching pad to develop the virtues more. 

 And so, there’s really no reason to be too worried and anxious when we encounter some difficulty in our life. In fact, we have every reason to be confident and at peace, focused on what we are supposed to do. And that’s because we are always in God’s hands. 

 Whatever situation we may be in, we can be sure that God will always provide for what is truly needed by us, though it may not be what we want. We just have to trust him completely for he knows better than we do, and what we want may not be what we need. It may not even be what is good for us. 

 The story of Abraham’s complete trust in God is a great lesson for us. (Gen 22,1-19) When God tested him by asking him to offer his only son, Isaac, as a sacrifice, he readily agreed. We already know how the story ended—a happy ending it was—and what great lesson he learned from that test. Abraham named the place where he was supposed to sacrifice his son, “Yahweh-yireh” (the Lord provides), for he was provided in the last minute with a ram to take the place of his son for the sacrifice. 

 God always knows what to do in any situation we may find ourselves in. He may allow some evil to come to us, an evil that can do us no harm unless we let it, but God knows how to draw good from evil. Our reaction whenever we are tested by some difficulty or temptation should be something like this: God wants us to develop us to be more and more like him. 

 We too should not be hindered by our stumbles and defeats in life. They should not separate us from God. Rather, like a little child who runs to the strong arms to his father when he falls, we should go to God as quickly as possible since he knows what to do with our failures.