Here, no utopia, no paradise

WE have to learn to live with this basic fact of life. No matter how much we try to make our life and the world in general as perfect as possible, we can never achieve it. We just have to contend with the reality that we will be living till the end of time in an imperfect world, but also one that is perfectible and hopefully always in the process of proper progress and perfection. 

 That, if we do our part. God in his continuing providence will always draw us and the world in general toward him which is where our ultimate perfection is found. In this world, we will never have that paradise. The utopia will remain a utopia—it’s nowhere to be found here. 

 Let’s remember that Christ, who is our savior, did not finish his redemptive work with this world and all of us perfect. Problems, difficulties if not failures, mistakes, temptations and sins will continue to hound all of us till the end of time. 

 What he has given us is simply the means of how to handle our condition here in this world with the view of recovering us to be with him in heaven, our true paradise and eternal and definitive home. 

 And the means is nothing less than he himself. He has not left us only with words, doctrine, the Church, the sacraments, etc. He has left us with nothing less than his own self, because only in him and with him can we enter into our eternal paradise. 

 And that means that like him we have to learn how to suffer and die with him. Let’s not forget that he told us that if we want to follow him, we should deny ourselves and carry our cross. (cfr. Lk 9,23) 

 St. Paul reiterated the same point when he said, “If we have been united with Him (Christ) like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.” (Rom 6,5) That’s the general, ideal picture of our life that we should have in our mind. 

 Of course, we have to try our best to make our life and the world in general as best as they can be, knowing that they will never be perfect where there will be no more tears, no more death, nor mourning, nor crying, nor sorrow. (cfr. Rev 21,4) 

 Yes, we will try to push for social justice, to eliminate poverty and injustice, etc., but knowing that we can never achieve their perfect state. As Christ said, “The poor you will always have with you.” (Mt 26,11) 

So, we should just learn to live with that life-long condition, without making it a reason to restrain ourselves from giving our all in helping and loving everyone, especially those in difficult situations, in the peripheries, etc. 

 In fact, we should have an all-systems-go attitude to whatever work of charity and mercy we can do for everyone, the rich and the poor, the intellectuals and the manual workers, etc. In this, we should be unsparing and unstinting. 

 Let’s never forget that God will always be with us, guiding us, giving us all that we truly need in his all-wise providence. Besides, he is always ready to forgive us everytime we fall or stray from the path he wants us to tread.

Beware of the Judas Iscariot syndrome

THIS is about people who are close to us but who can betray us, much like what Judas Iscariot did to Christ. Imagine, Judas was already one of the apostles, so close to Christ that he must have directly experienced the goodness of Christ. And yet he managed to betray him! 

 Of course, God’s providence is so wise and powerful that a greater good was derived from this truly horrible act. It’s nothing less than gaining the possibility of our own salvation, the reopening of heaven for us. But it should never be for this reason that we can even be cavalier in our attitude toward this possibility of betrayal. 

 Certainly, this possibility can also happen to us when we only go through the motions of friendship, especially with God, but only up to there. It’s just appearances that we would be making, giving lip service left and right, but not the real thing. When the opportunity comes, we can betray them. 

 To be sure, this is not just a simple act of infidelity. It’s a much graver type of infidelity that is played out in deceit. Its other name is treachery. It involves a network of hypocrisy, cheating and double-dealing, hidden and unexpressed critical thoughts, etc. Sincerity and transparency are thrown out of the window while retaining their masks. 

 This possibility is always around. We cannot dismiss it as something impossible to happen. Our human condition here on earth where we are always engaged in the constant battle between good and evil, between grace and our weaknesses and temptations around, can always make this possibility to happen. 

When we are not true to our word and to our commitments, renewing and strengthening our fidelity to them from time to time, or when we do not correct our mistakes and sins as soon as we can, or when we are not sincere and transparent, we would actually be giving an opening for such possibility to happen. If we are not careful, the slide to betrayal can come quietly and surely. 

 We have to be most guarded against this possibility and try to nip in the bud whatever slight traces of its symptoms come to our awareness. This is also true in our duty to take care of others who can also succumb to such possibility. Once we notice the symptoms in others, we should already start thinking, praying and devising some strategy to help them. I

n this regard, we can never overemphasize the need to be constantly vigilant in our responsibility over our own spiritual lives and those of the others. When we notice the onset of complacency and spiritual lukewarmness whose signs can easily be detected, we should already be amply warned and start to do something about it. 

 When we notice certain inconsistencies between the expressed intentions and words, on one hand, and deeds, on the other, we should already consider them as ample warnings. 

 Truth is all of us have the duty to take care of everyone else, especially those who are close to us. And one concrete way to carry out this duty is to consciously bring to our prayer each person with whom we have some special or close relations, or with whom some commitments are involved. 

 This is not, of course, a matter of spying, but rather an expression of genuine love and concern for the others. We should never be indifferent to anyone. Once we notice some symptoms of what we may refer to as the Judas Iscariot syndrome, we have to start to do something, praying first, asking God for some light and guidance, and coming up with some action plan. 

 Usually, what is just needed is to shower the person concerned with more affection and understanding, giving him always good example. In other words, to drown him with a lot of goodness with the view of leading him to a conversion!

Empty suit, no; empty vessel, yes

WE have to be familiar with these two terms that refer to two conditions or states that can characterize our life. One is good which we should try to assume, while the other is bad which, of course, we should avoid at all costs. 

 To be an empty suit is to be quite impressive and showy on the outside, in appearance, in airs or aura, etc. but rather empty on the inside, that is, in substance, in spirit that animates our life, in real capabilities. 

Dictionaries describe an empty suit as “a prominent person regarded as lacking substance, personality or ability.” A number of similar variations can flow from that general description of an empty suit. 

 An empty vessel, while literally meaning a container with nothing inside, is a biblical term first referred to in 2 Kings 4,1-6 where a woman, troubled by the creditors of her dead husband, was asked to get as many empty vessels so that oil can be poured into them to pay for her husband’s debt. 

 That term has come to mean our need to empty ourselves so that the oil of God can fill us, which is the condition or state that is proper to us. We have to empty ourselves of our own selves, so to speak, so that the spirit of God, the spirit that is proper to us since we are God’s image and likeness, can fill us. 

 This need has been referred to several times in the New Testament, in particular in the Second Letter of St. Paul to Timothy: “If anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.” (2,21) 

 We have to be wary of our tendency to become an empty suit rather than an empty vessel. We cannot deny that the prevalent culture nowadays pressure us to live some kind of hypocrisy, since we are made to worry more about our public image, our appearance than about what really matters in our life, and that is, to be truly identified with Christ, who is the pattern of our humanity, the redeemer of our damaged humanity. 

 This does not mean that we should not worry about our public image. We should! But it should be a public image that is solidly supported by the real substance, that is, the spirit of God animating in us. 

 We should worry less about our public image or our public packaging than about our quest to have God in us, since the former would just come as a consequence of the latter. 

 Besides nowadays, more and more people already have the skill to discern which one is just an empty suit and which one is a real man of God. Sooner or later, the real character of a person can be known by the fruit that they bear, so to speak. They are known by their deeds and the effects of their behavior. 

 As Christ said: “A good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit…A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and en evil man out of the evil treasure of his brings forth evil.” (Lk 6,43-45)

A “firestorm” in a teacup?

WHAT a day it was! Still quite early in the morning, I already received several calls from friends and acquaintances asking for urgent clarifications about what they heard from the Pope. Apparently, from what they read in some news outlets, the Pope is now changing Church teaching about same-sex union. He is now for it. That was the gist of their concern. 

 Admittedly, I felt alarmed as well, since many of those who called were known to me to be spiritually and doctrinally well-formed. And so I dove into the gathering storm to see what the real score was. 

 Of course, I always try to restrain myself in my reactions to news items, knowing that journalism, even in its best condition, often gives superficial account of any issue. I have to control my knee-jerk reaction. 

 As I found out from my initial efforts, the Pope was simply trying to give a more charitable accommodation to persons with same-sex attraction. They should not be ostracized, they should be made part of a family, he said in so many words. 

 That’s when he suggested that some laws may be made that would enable such persons to enjoy some legal protection for their basic rights as persons and citizens without being unduly discriminated. That’s when many of the news outlets twisted things by saying that the Pope is now in favor of legalizing same-sex unions. 

 At first, I did not know that the Pope was misquoted, and so my line of thinking was along the understanding that the Pope was now for some civil same-sex union law if only for those persons concerned to enjoy some legal rights as persons and citizens. 

 I dismissed the thought that the Pope was simply for same-sex union law for the sake of that law alone, but rather, so that these persons can enjoy and be protected in the same basic rights as the others. 

 I made the distinction between tolerating a lesser evil to achieve a greater good and approving what is morally wrong. In this life, no one can avoid having to deal with some forms of evil. We just have to learn to live with them as best that we can, without compromising what is really essential. 

 Later on, I discovered that the Pope was misquoted. What he actually said was that he wanted laws that would allow civil coexistence or convivence for persons with same-sex attraction, not laws that would allow same-sex unions. And so, I modified my initial view on the issue a little. I believe that the Pope was not asking for such laws to be made. 

 Just the same, some sectors, headed by a prominent priest, are disputing that claim. They believe that the Pope is really calling for laws for same-sex unions for further protection of the LGBT rights. And the Pope, so far, has not made a clarifying statement. 

 So, it is still a developing hot issue. Just the same, I know that however this issue goes, some good will always be derived. The truth will always triumph, sooner or later. 

 We should just pray hard and try to engage in discussions and exchanges that are characterized by earnest desire to know the truth and what is fair in an atmosphere of charity, respect for one another, regardless of how sharp the differences and conflicts are.

Live under God’s providence

WE have to remind ourselves strongly about this fundamental truth about ourselves. That’s because we are practically forgetting it and are increasingly suffering the dire consequences. 

 We have to live under God’s providence, understanding first of all what providence is. Many of us are ignorant of this basic truth, even if in the many fields of human endeavor, we have reached the highest limits. 

 As our Catechism puts it, providence are “the dispositions by which God guides his creation toward their perfection…By his providence God protects and governs all things which he has made…(n. 302) 

Furthermore, the Catechism says that “the solicitude of divine providence is concrete and immediate; God cares for all, from the least things to the great events of the world and its history.” (n. 303) 

 We need to understand that as God’s creatures, our creation is still in the making. We are still being formed and led to our perfection, which is none other than to be God’s image and likeness, children of his and sharers of his divine life in the eternity of heaven. 

 But precisely because of the way God has created us, endowing us with intelligence and will, and giving us his grace, we are meant to correspond to his creative work on us, a work that now includes a redemptive aspect since we messed up the original design God intended for us. 

 We have to realize then that God is constantly intervening in our lives, a reality that we should always acknowledge and correspond to properly. This is what is meant by God’s providence over us. Thus, we should be always aware that we ought to live under God’s providence, corresponding to it as best that we can. 

 We need to understand that God is always with us and is actively intervening in our lives. There is nothing in our life where God is not present or where he is inactive. This is the objective truth about God and us, whether we are aware of it or not, believe in it or not. 

 Obviously, we have to try our best to correspond to God’s constant presence and interventions. That is why, we need to cultivate our spiritual life, our relation with God which is otherwise called as our religion, that has to be constantly nourished through a life of piety that should be kept as vibrant as possible. 

Otherwise, there is no other way but to fall into self-indulgence that has no other possible end than tragedy. We would be easy prey to our weaknesses, the many temptations around and sin itself. 

 That is why the Catechism tells us that “Jesus asks for childlike abandonment to the providence of our heavenly Father who takes care of his children’s smallest needs.” (n. 305). We should not dare to live solely on our own, something that we need effort to uphold, since our tendency is to think that we can simply be on our own. 

 This basic truth about our need to live under God’s providence should be inculcated on everyone as early as possible, giving out the appropriate means to make this ideal a reality. As the day wears on, we should be asking questions like, “Lord, what do you want me to do now, etc.?” 

 What definitely a wonderful world we would have if all of us learn to live under God’s providence!

Mercy and God’s justice

WE have to be clear about this very heartwarming truth of our faith. God is always willing to forgive us no matter how grave our sins are. He always offers forgiveness to us and it is all up to us to take that offer. We should never be afraid to go to him asking for forgiveness. 

 Remember that scene of him hanging on the cross before he died. One of his last words was: “Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do.” (Lk 23,34) Not only did he offer forgiveness to those who crucified him, who at the end of the day are actually all of us because we all sin and sin is the cause of his crucifixion. He also made the effort to find an excuse for his killers, for all of us. That’s what real love is, which is what God is. 

 Would he still forgive us if our sins are really that big and ugly? Again, let’s remember that the greatest evil, the biggest sin committed not only by some men but by all of us, has already been done. And that is none other than the killing of God in Christ on the cross. 

 Whatever sin we commit, no matter how big and ugly, is nothing compared to that most horrible sin. So, let’s not exaggerate our sinfulness. Our sins may be very horrible, but God’s grace, his mercy, can always handle them. (cfr. Rom 5,20) 

 And why is God so merciful? The only reason we can find is that at bottom, regardless of how we may have been behaving in our earthly life, we are all children of God, the object of his predilection among his creatures, since we have been created in his image and likeness. He cannot but love us, yes, even to a fault. 

 God in Christ will do everything to save us. That is why St. Paul said in his Letter to the Romans: “Since He did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?” (8,32) 

 It’s good that we remember these words always so that we avoid overreacting to our sinfulness and to our not-so-well-formed conscience that may relay to us a devil-inspired thought that we are already irredeemable. God is willing to go all the way to the gates of hell if only to save us. 

 God knows from all eternity that we would have weaknesses, that we would fall into sin, that we have the capacity to go against him, and yet all these do not deter him from creating us and helping us all the time so we can be what he wants us to be. 

 We cannot consider God the way we, especially in our wounded condition, consider ourselves. God’s ways are way above our ways. His standards, so to speak, are infinitely higher than our standards. Though we are his image and likeness and should therefore reflect him in our lives, we would always find ourselves short of what he wants us to be. To counter this lifelong predicament of ours, we should just act out of sheer faith. 

 Anyway, we are told by St. Paul himself that he who started everything with us will also be the one to complete and perfect everything is us. (cfr. Phil 1,6) Ours is simply to go along with God’s will and ways as best that we can. 

 Hopefully, once we are convinced of God’s love and mercy, we can unburden ourselves of unnecessary feelings of guilt and sadness, and just focus and rally all our powers and resources in doing what is truly good, which is none other than to do the will of God, loving him and loving everybody else. 

 That is when we can truly say we have passed the test of our life which is about whether we want to be with God or against him!

One door closes, another opens

SUCH is life as we go through different circumstances and situations, the twists and turns in life. And now that we are in this pandemic mode, we are talking about a new or next normal where many of the usual things we used to have and do, have changed or are not available anymore. 

 But let’s never forget that it is quite impossible that we would find ourselves in some dead-end. A door may close, but to be sure, another one would actually open for us. If we believe in a provident God, we would know that such is the case. 

 The challenge is for us to discover that new door. It actually would not be totally new, since what may appear to be new would share many things in common with the old one. So we should just learn how to transition to the new things as smoothly as possible, adapting ourselves to the new circumstances. To be sure, along the way we would be learning many great lessons, fueling our personal and social growth further. 

 I know of many people who are not only surviving in these challenging times but are rather prospering as they discover new opportunities in doing business and making money, and more importantly, in developing themselves as a person, as a husband or wife, as a parent, etc. 

 A friend-priest told me that he managed to finally write a book he had been wanting to write but could not due to his busy schedule. The lockdown made it possible. Another friend started a work-at-home business selling and delivering all sort of items. 

 We should not be unduly worried by this turn of events. As long as we have a faith-based sporting, adventurous and enterprising spirit as well as the mentality of a discoverer or inventor, we can manage. We can convert what may appear as things-turning-for-the worse scenario into things-turning-for-the-better. 

 Fears, worries and other negative things may try to assault us, but let’s never allow ourselves to be dominated by them. So we should just properly condition ourselves spiritually and morally, psychologically and emotionally, as well as physically. Again, to be sure, with strong faith and trust in God, we know that we have enough resources to attain this proper conditioning. 

 We may have to force ourselves to smile and to be positive in outlook, encouraging in our words and ways even if things may look dark and gloomy. And that would not be hypocrisy or self-deception, but rather a concrete expression of faith. Whatever the situation and circumstances, it is faith that would get us through. 

 Remember St. John saying: “For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith…” (1 Jn 5,4) And Christ himself said it very clearly: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (Jn 16,33) 

 We should know where to ultimately find our strength, our hope, our optimism during problematic times. We should not allow ourselves to be guided solely by our human estimations alone. Faith in God, in his powerful, ever creative providence, is the key. That’s the secret. 

 Even if we are imprisoned physically, our faith-driven spirit can go anywhere. It cannot be trapped by worldly limitations.

Outward and inward-looking

WE have to realize that the proper development of our humanity, let alone, our Christianity, of both our natural self and our spiritual and supernatural self would involve that we look both outside us and inside us. 

 We have to look outward because that is how we trigger the motion for sensing and then knowing and loving. It’s when these basic human operations are spurred that the process of growing in our humanity and Christianity starts and is kept running. 

 We also have to look inward to see to it that we develop the proper systems that would be appropriate for our dignity as persons and as children of God. Let’s remember that our humanity and Christianity is always a work in progress while we are still here in this world. 

 We have to avoid just looking outward without looking inward because no amount of data received from outside would have the proper effect on us if we do not take care of our interior systems, so to speak. We need to look inside us to see if things are in conformity with the objective reality from outside.

And neither should we just focus on looking inward with hardly looking outward since that state of affairs would sooner or later lead us to a toxic self-indulgent way of life or to trap us in our own world detached from the reality outside. 

 We have to know how to look both outward and inward. Just like in a car, for it to travel well and safely, it has to have good windows so the driver can see where he is going, and also to have a good dashboard to see if he has enough fuel and if the systems are working well or if there are red light flashing warnings to us. 

 A car just cannot have windows alone without or with inadequate dashboard, nor the dashboard alone without or with only small, narrow and not-so-clear windows. That car would end in trouble sooner or later. 

 We need to look outward because that is where we can see things that would feed our inner selves. Looking outward is where we can see God ultimately in our dealings with others and with everything else.  

Thus, we always have to think of God and of others. We have to sharpen our curiosities to know God, others and everything else more and more. We should never say enough in this venture. This should be an abiding interest. 

 We also need to look inward so we can see if our capacities to know and to love are in order. Thus, we have to spend time praying, studying, developing virtues, making regular examinations of conscience, rectifying our intentions all the time knowing that we can easily be overtaken by improper motives. In fact, we have to establish a certain system that would enable us to correspond to what see outside properly.  

We have to be wary of the danger, usually affecting many young people, that would mesmerize us simply of things outside while neglecting the proper development of their spiritual and supernatural life. 

 Same with the danger, usually affecting some old people, that would keep us restricted in our own world, and perhaps keeping an elaborate program of praying, studying and self-introspection, but already out of touch with the realities outside.

The sporting and adventurous spirit

IN life, this is the spirit and attitude we should have. Otherwise, we would easily be overcome by the twists and turns, the drama of life that can come from light to heavy and can be entirely confusing, sweeping us to situations we would not know how to handle. 

 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. 

 This we can do if first of all we have a strong and deep faith in God, our Creator and Father. If we have that faith, we know that God holds everything in order through his providence. He takes care of everything, irrespective of how things go. Ours is simply to relate everything to him and to go back to him everytime we get astray and especially at the end of the day. 

 When we have this sporting and adventurous spirit, we, of course, would like to play to win and to get as much enjoyment as possible. We would give our best shot. But we also know that this is not going to happen all the time. There will be times when we lose in a game or when we get lost in our adventure. But regardless of how things go, we can always go back to God as we should, and everything would just be all right. 

 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. 

 Obviously, to be able to do this, we need to have a certain sense of detachment from things in general even as we try to immerse ourselves in them. We have to learn the appropriate art and skill for this. We have to learn to flow with the times and to roll with the punches. 

 May the good times not spoil us but only make us most thankful for the blessing, and eager to serve God and others some more. And may the bad times not lead us to depression and despair, but rather to strengthen our trust and hope in God’s providence. 

 While we cannot avoid being affected in some way by the ups and downs of life, we should see to it that at the end of the day, we are at peace with God and with everyone else, asking for forgiveness from God for whatever mistakes we commit, as well as asking and giving it to others as the case may be. 

 We should be reconciled with God and with everybody else, since after all is said and done, we cannot deny that we are all children of God, brothers and sisters among ourselves, meant to love everyone irrespective of how the others are. 

 We need to be strong in this sporting and adventurous spirit, and teach everyone to be the same. Our unavoidable differences and conflicts, our wins and losses, successes and failures, should not undermine this spirit. If at all, they should strengthen it all the more!

“Non multa, sed multum”

THAT’S Latin for “not many, but much,” a reference to how our loving and self-giving should be or how our generosity is shown. What it means is that our loving is not so much a matter of quantity as of quality, not so much of what we give as of how we give it. 

 This was the lesson Christ wanted to impart to his disciples and to us upon seeing two characters putting some amount in the temple treasury. (cfr. Lk 21,1-4) “He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. 

 “So he said, ‘Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all. For all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.’”  

The same lesson was also given when Christ was asked by a rich young man what he had to do to gain eternal life. (cfr. Mt 19,16-22) At first, Christ told the man to observe the commandments. 

 But when the rich kid said he already was observing the commandments but still felt it was not enough, Christ told him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 

 In other words, it’s not about giving a lot, but rather about giving all. In the end, it’s not so much about giving things, possessions, riches as about giving oneself entirely. 

 Such attitude is in keeping with what Christ taught about losing one’s life only to find it. “Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Mt 16,25) 

 We should therefore not be afraid to give ourselves completely to God, because that is actually the best deal we can ever have in this life. It’s in so doing, it’s when we empty ourselves completely, detaching ourselves from earthly things, that we can fill ourselves with nothing other than God himself. And with God, we will have everything else that is necessary to us. 

 Let’s always remember what Christ said about this point: “Seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Mt 6,33) He meant that as long as we seek God first, everything else that we need would be provided for. 

 We have to be wary of our tendency to think that our true happiness is when we possess things, when we accumulate wealth. Our true treasure is God. That’s why Christ also said: 

 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Mt 6,19-20) 

 We obviously need material things to live according to our human dignity. But let’s see to it that the acquisition and possession of these material and earthly things is properly motivated and inspired. It should be out of love of God. There should be no ulterior motive. 

 That is why we have to see to it that we only have what we need or what would help us fulfill our duty to love God with all our heart and to love our neighbor as ourselves in the way Christ commanded us. We should avoid unnecessary, superfluous things that will only serve as temptations. 

 In the end, what really matters is to see that what we are giving to God and to others are our whole selves. It’s not so much a matter of the quantity that is given, but of the quality, not so much of what is given but of how it is given—with our whole heart, our whole selves!

Taking care of our culture

TAKING care of our culture may appear to be too much for each one of us to be concerned about. But make no mistake about it. Each one of us definitely has a grave duty to take care of it. Culture may sound too big for each one to care about, but, yes, each one of us is duty bound to contribute to it in an existential way. 

 Culture can be roughly defined as the external manifestation of the soul of a society. It is the spirit that animates a people taken in their collectivity. It is made up of some stable elements that are characteristic of a people—their beliefs, their aspirations, their temperament, their customs and practices, etc. 

It also definitely guides the general way people behave, react to things, and the way they do business, politics, etc. We have to realize more deeply that culture is as living and dynamic as an individual person’s soul. It has its strength and weaknesses. It is always subject to the twists and turns of events and circumstances of our collective life. Thus, we just cannot allow it to go in any which way. It has to be guided, kept healthy, purified, continually enriched, etc. 

 And more than guided, culture first of all has to be properly rooted. Just as the soul of an individual person is not self-generated but is a creation of God and therefore needs to be properly animated by God’s will, plan and providence, culture also has to be so animated. Obviously the proper rooting or animation of our culture is a duty that belongs to all and to each one of us in our different capacities. 

 If our culture is animated by the Christian spirit, then it would show in all its external manifestations the Christian values of goodness, love for truth and beauty, mercy and compassion. Everyone would realize that we have to love one another as Christ himself has loved us. If our culture is animated by the Christian spirit, then it would always give priority for the need for personal sanctification and for doing apostolate. These would be the over-all and constant concern that integrates all the other concerns we have in our daily affairs. 

 If our culture is animated by the Christian spirit, we would know how to deal with our unavoidable differences and conflicts in charity. We always try to end the day at peace with God and with everybody else. And we would trust God’s providence as we also would fully acknowledge our responsibilities. 

 We need to see to it that this Christian animation of our culture is closely carried out in areas where we usually have these differences and conflicts. This would be in the area of business and politics, and even in our basic beliefs. We have to learn to practice Christian sportsmanship in the game of life. 

 Let’s contribute in keeping our culture healthy by putting ourselves first in good order and by helping others to be and to do the same. This should be an ongoing affair, a work in progress. We for sure will meet difficulties, trials and other challenges, and we can commit mistakes, but as long as we go back to God, we would know how to face them and learn precious lesson from them. This is how we take care of our culture!

The burning desire to fulfill

WE have to develop an abiding and burning desire to fulfill the real purpose of our life. We should be clear about this ultimate purpose of ours so we can have the proper sense of direction and focus in our life, and the corresponding urge to fulfill it. 

 Our problem is that we often take our life’s real and ultimate purpose for granted, preferring to sway and dance according to the music played simply by worldly conditions. We prefer to be guided by our senses and emotions, or by our reasoning alone as expressed in our man-made different ideologies, philosophies, sciences and technologies, etc. 

 We ignore the guiding light of our Christian faith that gives us not only a global picture of things but also the means to attain our true goal of eternal life with God in heaven. We have to remember that our Christian faith shows us the ultimate dimensions and purpose of our life that definitely includes the spiritual and supernatural realities. 

 We often fail to realize that our earthly life is a voyage of faith in time that is heading towards the eternity of God. This predicament has to be resolved, and the earlier the better—of course, with due consideration to the readiness of each one of us to appreciate the value of our Christian faith, something that has to be worked on. 

 In this regard, the first thing to do is to look at the example of Christ who is “the way, the truth and the life” for us. In several occasions, Christ would say that what he was doing was in fulfillment of what the prophets of old, the advance proclaimers of God’s will for Christ and for all of us, said. (cfr. Mt 26,54.56; Mk 14,49; Lk 18,31; etc.) 

 It’s clear that Christ already had in his mind that he has to follow and fulfill a purpose and a mission already spelled out for him beforehand. This should also be the mentality we ought to have. We have a purpose and mission already spelled out for us beforehand, and we should do our best, with God’s grace, to fulfill it. 

 To keep himself faithful to this purpose and mission, Christ had to pray and to assert that he does nothing other than to do the will of the Father. “The Son can do nothing by himself,” he said, “unless he sees the Father doing it. For whatever the father does, the Son also does.” (Jn 5,19) On another occasion, Christ said, “I do nothing on my own initiative.” (Jn 8,28) 

 We need to adapt the same frame of mind as that of Christ. We are meant to fulfill the will of God for us, and not just our own will for that would constitute as nothing other than self-indulgence. 

 That’s why we cannot overemphasize the need for praying, for closely studying the doctrine of our faith, for making plans and strategies on daily, weekly, monthly basis, etc., so we would conform everything in our life to fulfill God’s will for us. 

 This desire and urge to fulfill God’s will should be made as alive and vivid as possible. This is the challenge all of us have to face and tackle. We have to learn to align everything to God’s will, always fighting against the constant temptations of distractions and other forms of self-indulgence.

Let’s be amazed at God’s power

IT’S good that from time to time we again read about the many miracles Christ performed that are recorded in the gospels if only to be strongly reminded of God’s power that we seem, little by little, to take for granted and ignore today. 

 We always tend to believe that we can manage to live our life and to handle all kinds of situations just by relying on our own powers, practically denying the fact that our powers come from God and are supposed to be a participation of God’s powers. This is especially so since we now appear to be gaining more power through our inventions and creations. 

 We obviously have to do our part. We have to make use of everything we have got to resolve whatever problems, difficulties, issues, etc., we have in this life. Yes, we have to very realistic and practical about everything. But we should not forget that we always need God. 

 Even in our small, usual and very manageable concerns, we should go and be with God first before we attempt to tackle them. This does not mean that we are getting too dependent on him. Truth is, we actually depend on him for everything even if we also should fully use whatever capabilities we have. Yes, we enjoy a freedom that enables us to have a certain autonomy but not total independence from God. 

 We have to remember that being God’s creatures who have been created in his image and likeness, we are meant to live our whole life with him. Our relationship with him is not that of a parasite to a host, but rather that of a child to his father. That is our undeniable and inalienable lineage. God and us are meant to be together always. 

 There is nothing in our life where God is not supposed to be involved. This basic truth about ourselves should never be forgotten. It should rather be constantly reinforced. And one way to do that is precisely to remind ourselves of the many demonstrations of God’s power through his miracles. 

 Hopefully such awareness would strengthen our belief that we need God for everything. We should not go to him only during extraordinary circumstances when we happen to feel completely helpless. We need to go to him always, whatever the circumstances may be. 

 Let’s never forget what Christ clearly said: “Apart from me you can do nothing.” (Jn 15,5) We have to understand these words well. Definitely we can do a lot of things without God. We can even make war against him. 

 But what Christ meant is that without him, we would be incapable of doing anything that is worthy of our dignity as children of God. And that, in the end, is what matters. 

 Again let us remember Christ’s words: “What does it a profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his own soul?” (Mk 8,36) We have to be wary of our tendency to be so easily seduced by worldly allurements that we forget that we are meant to be with God. 

 Let’s hope that considering the many miracles of Christ in the gospel would strengthen our faith and trust in God. Let’s hope that it would make us so humble as to acknowledge who we really are—that we are nothing without God. Let’s hope that whatever accomplishments we make in this world would bring us closer to him rather than distance us from him. 

 Let’s nourish our spiritual soul with “the living and enduring word of God” as St. Peter said in his first letter, since we have been born “not of perishable seed, but of an imperishable one.” (1,23) 

 Let’s have a conversion of heart to accommodate this basic truth about ourselves. We need God always! We cannot live as we ought without him.

The feel of true freedom

MANY people have asked me how true freedom, the one that really comes from God, feels. Of course, what is presumed behind that query is that there are so many ideas about what true freedom is and how it should feel such that people often get confused. It’s a legitimate question that deserves to be given some answers. 

 I do not presume that I know everything about what true freedom is, much less, how it should feel. But, yes, I can give some ideas based on what we learn from our Christian faith. 

 I can also offer some description of how it feels, which does not mean that I feel it all the time. In this life, what we know and believe is one thing. Whether we live it or not is another thing. Both conditions will always be a work in progress at best, with the latter often left behind by the former. 

 Freedom, of course, is a gift from God, a creation of his just as our life and nature are. It is a participation of God’s freedom that would enable us to love him and everybody and everything else properly, since we have been created in his image and likeness. How God is should also be how we are. 

 It is the expression mainly of our intelligence and will that mainly resemble us with God. It is to be manifested by our bodily, human and natural conditions and qualities. And so, it can produce its own, distinctive feeling. 

 Freedom, therefore, is about obeying the will of God and identifying ourselves with him. And because of that, it is mainly a supernatural affair for which we are given the grace to be able to hack it. Of course, we have to understand that grace does not supplant and do away with our natural self. 

 What grace does is to purify, strengthen and elevate our nature, so we can follow God’s will and enter and share his very own life. This is what is meant by being created in God’s image and likeness. That is the dignity given to us which we also have to work out, in freedom, because God does not impose his will on us. We have to accept this will for us freely and lovingly. 

 But given our wounded condition, this God-given freedom is often misunderstood, mishandled and violated. That’s why God sent his son who became man for us so we can be given “the way, the truth and the life” that God meant for us. 

 So the experience of our true freedom cannot but reflect the way Christ, the God-made-man for our salvation, lived and carried out his mission of saving us. The feel of true freedom will always involve a sensation of being liberated from some form of bondage that we often regard as likeable. It will always prod us to follow the teaching and example of Christ. 

 The feel of true freedom will involve some suffering since it will require effort, struggle and war against temptations and sin and anything that would separate us from God. Such suffering, if carried out in true freedom, will always be found meaningful by us. Such suffering would, in fact, indicate the authenticity of our freedom. 

 Yes, while true freedom will involve effort, suffering, a feeling of liberation, it will also give us a deep sense of peace and joy, of self-fulfillment. It will also move us to have a burning desire to think well of others, to serve, to love. True freedom is never passive. It is always active. It is not just reactive. It is always creative, unmindful of the sacrifices involved. 

 The feel of true freedom can entail a mysterious sensation that we are becoming more and more like Christ without feeling proud and conceited. If at all, such sensation would make us humble and forever thankful!

Our proper rest

WE need to know what our proper rest really is. Nowadays, people have different and even conflicting ideas about what it is. For some it is purely something physical. For others, it is more on the emotional and psychological side. 

 There are those who think that resting is doing what they like to do at the moment, enjoying a peaceful moment, sipping a favorite drink. Still others believe it is having the sensation of letting go of something that weighs heavily on their mind and heart. There still are others who think that is about achieving a goal they had set out for themselves. 

 All of these, of course, have their valid points. But I believe there is still a higher metric that would best define what our proper rest is and that would somehow integrate all these other ideas about rest. And that is whether we manage to be with God at the end of the day—or of our life. 

 Let’s always remember what Christ said in this regard. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Mt 11,28) We need to understand that our proper rest is when we manage to come home to Christ. He is the one who solves everything, especially those things that we ourselves cannot solve anymore. 

 We cannot deny that many of our ideas about rest can satisfy only an aspect of our need for rest. If it is not in the physical, then it is in the emotional or the psychological. If it is not in the emotional or psychological, then it is in the mental, etc. Not that these types of rest do not give us some real relief. They do, but somehow only partially. 

 I believe the real issue about rest nowadays is that we do not really know what our proper rest is. It’s a pity because especially these days when many of us feel harassed and agitated, tense and nervous because of all the problems, difficulties, challenges, trials, pressures, etc., of modern life, there is a great need to know and to enjoy the real and proper rest for us, one that gives us true and lasting joy and peace. 

 Since this proper rest is hardly known and resorted to, many of us have gone to all forms of escapism—from addiction to heavy drinks, drugs, pornography and sex to serious cases of depression, mental illnesses, and even self-harm and suicide. 

 There is a crying need to educate people about the true rest that can only come from being with God. Of course, the big difficulty here is that many people would think that involving God in their search for rest would already compromise their freedom. “What if I am not a God-inclined man? What if I am not a religious person?” some would ask. 

 But that is precisely the challenge to face—how to convert people so they realize that only in God would the real and proper rest for us be achieved. They have to realize that God is a necessity for us. He is not just an optional element in our life, though we have to relate ourselves to him freely. We need him much more than we need air or food! 

 We have to understand that the real cause of our tiredness, feelings of harassments and nervousness, etc. is not something just biological, physical, emotional or psychological. Neither is the cause simply professional, economic, social or political. 

 The real and ultimate cause is our detachment from God. It is this sad condition that explains the many disorders and chaos we can find around—so much anger, hatred, conflict, tension, etc. This condition simply shows that we are detached from the ultimate and sure source of life, energy, power, and of peace and joy. 

 We should do something about this sorry condition of ours. Our proper rest is when there is joy and peace, a deep sense of freedom and liberation, a burning desire to love!

Impurity blunts faith

THAT can easily be surmised from what Christ said in the gospel of St. Matthew. “Some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.’ He said to them in reply, ‘An evil and adulterous generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet.” (Mt 12,38-39) 

 Here, Christ is practically saying that impurity, which is what makes a generation deserve the description, ‘adulterous’, can make us unfaithful to God and to others and to whatever commitments we have, as well as blind and deaf to the truths of our faith. 

 Impurity would make us blind to the superabundant signs of the existence, goodness, mercy of God and of all the other attributes God has. No amount of the signs of God’s existence can convince them. As St. Thomas Aquinas would put it, “To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.” 

 Impurity would make us so dominated by the concupiscence of the flesh and the world, so welcoming to the tricks of the devil, so captivated by the deceptive pleasures of sensuality, that whatever comes from God, whatever spiritual and supernatural truths of our faith, cannot enter into our mind and heart. 

 Thus, Christ once lamented about this predicament of ours. “This people’s heart,” he said, “has become calloused. They hardly hear with their ears and they have closed their eyes.” (Mt 13,15) The most that people can do, they who still have traces of faith but are yet enslaved by impurity, is to go into the ways of pretensions and hypocrisy. 

 We have to be most guarded against this clear and strong tendency of ours to ignore, if not deny, the truths of our faith whose signs and manifestations are quite plenty and easy to see. W

e really need to develop a strong and vibrant spiritual life, one that involves all aspects of our life—from the material to the spiritual, from the natural to the supernatural—for us to nourish and develop our faith to its maturity and fullness. 

 And the virtue of holy purity plays a crucial role in this. This virtue brings our bodily dimension, especially our human sexuality, to the very dynamic of divine love which is the source, pattern, power and end of our human love. 

 As a consequence, our faith and hope are bolstered. Even if we have not yet reached our final destination, even if the truths of faith are not yet directly seen, somehow our virtue of holy purity would enable us to see them or at least to have some feel of them. 

 How important therefore it is to do everything to develop this virtue of holy purity! To discipline the often rebellious instincts of our flesh, we should strengthen our desire to look for God in everything that we do. It’s by looking for him that we can find him, and finding him, we for sure would be motivated to serve him. That is the usual way to be with God and to fall in love with him and to be able to live holy purity. 

 Of course, God can come to us in some dramatic fashion even if we are not looking for him. In that case, let’s be like St. Paul in his conversion moment. He immediately corresponded to God’s call properly. 

Though St. Paul continued to be bothered by what he called the “thorn of the flesh,” (cfr. 2 Cor 17,7) he converted it as a way to keep him from being conceited and to spur him to get closer to God. 

 Holy purity will always involve a lifelong struggle that in itself will nourish our faith. Let’s do a rigorous war against impurity!

The collateral dangers of the new things

WE have to be very wary in our use of the new things. They can be very attractive since they give us a lot of advantages. But we should never forget that we need to also develop the appropriate attitudes and skills, because together with their advantages are some dangers that can trick us so subtly that we may not even notice that we are being tricked. 

 Our new technologies, for example, will generate new ways of communicating, of transacting business, of doing the different things in our life, as in politics, sports, fashion, arts, etc. They can evoke greater creativity, efficiency and productivity, but they can also occasion distractions and all kinds of temptations especially in the area of humility, charity, holy purity, order, prudence, etc. 

 Yes, they can make us forget that everything that we are, have and do are supposed to be for the glory of God and for the good of all. They instead can deceive us with the sweet poison of self-indulgence. They can be so absorbing and riveting that they can make us lose sight of the true purpose of our life. 

We end up simply fattening our egos, thinking that such would be the real purpose of our life. That is why we can never overemphasize the indication given to us by Christ. “If anyone wants to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Lk 9,23) We should never dare to forget these words or even to take them for granted. They are a clear and effective guide for us as we cruise our increasingly complicated world. 

 To be sure, this is not some kind of paranoia. Rather it is a concrete expression of prudence, of divine wisdom, as we grapple with the confusing mix of good and evil in our world. 

 Because of the new normal brought about by this Covid pandemic, people are resorting to the online system. While the purpose of communication is served, many people are also bothered by the temptations to fall into vanity, frivolity, waste of time and disorder. Some get entangled in the web of pornography and the many other forms of scams, commercialism and materialism. 

 There is, indeed, now a great need to remind everyone about the real and ultimate purpose of our life, and to give them concrete ideas of how this purpose can be effectively pursued. Obviously, everyone has to be reminded to always deepen and strengthen their spiritual life, their relationship with God and with others, because when weak and, worse, absent these, there is no other way but to be completely swallowed up by worldly values alone, together with their dangers. 

 Everyone has to be taught how to be true contemplatives in the middle of the world. That is the only way we can properly handle the collateral dangers of the new things we are having these days. 

 The skills and art of keeping the presence of God throughout the day, of having rectitude of intention in our words and deeds, and of relating everything to God and developing a sense of how our daily activities are in synch with God’s providence, should be taught and acquired. 

 This is a big challenge to face, and we can hack it if we would just put our mind and heart into it. God’s grace for this is never lacking.

When we have God’s love

WHEN we truly have God’s love in our heart, no evil, no sin, no matter how grave, ugly and tempting, can scandalize us. With God’s love, we can manage to bear all this without compromising our sense of what is right and wrong. With God’s love, we somehow would become invincible even to the strongest temptations. In a sense, we would become scandal-proof. 

 Ours would simply be to care for everyone. To the weak, we would try to strengthen them. To those in error, we can give some suggestions and even corrections, but always in charity. To those who are astray and lost, we would look for them and bring them back to the right path. Just like what Christ did. And he wants us to be like him—the salt and light of the world, the good shepherd, the sacrificial lamb, etc. 

 We would know if we have God’s love in our heart if our love for others, especially those who do us harm and who commit all kinds of offenses and sin anywhere and everywhere, can truly reflect how St. Paul described love should be: that it can bear all things, can believe all things, can hope all things, can endure all things. (cfr. 1 Cor 13,7) 

 And, to be sure, that love would not simply be contented with bearing all things, with being patient and tolerant with whatever evil would come our way. It’s a love that would do whatever is necessary, including the possibility of death and martyrdom, if only to save souls. It’s a love that is purely gratuitous, not expecting any reward or reciprocation. It is the ‘agape’ type of love, not just the ‘eros’ nor the ‘filia’ types.  

We have to develop this love. In this, we should not think that it is impossible, since God himself is all too willing to give it to us as a gift. But, certainly, we have to do our part. We have to always obey the will of God, which is what loving is all about. And for this, what we have to do is nothing less than identifying ourselves vitally with the living Christ. 

 We have to assume the mind of Christ, and follow his ways, which are those of kindness, patience, compassion, mercy even as he persistently preached about what is good and evil. 

 We have to see to it that the more knowledgeable we are about Christian faith and morals, the more humble we should become, the more willing we are to understand others, especially those who are in error. This was how Christ was and continues to be. Otherwise, we would be heading along the path of self-righteousness. And sad to say, it seems that many are treading on this path. 

 It’s obvious therefore that we have to constantly meditate on the life and example of Christ. In any situation we can find ourselves in, we should always ask ourselves: how would Christ think or react or behave in this situation? Such questioning, plus our constant meditation on Christ’s life and example and our study of our Christian doctrine, would definitely give us some ideas. 

 Let’s hope that we can manage to develop the instinct of referring everything that happens in our life to Christ, who continues to be alive and active in intervening in our lives. He simply is not just a historical figure nor an archetype of a certain ideology. We have to train ourselves to be always aware of his presence and of his action on us. 

 When we have God’s love as revealed, taught and lived by Christ, we would know how to handle any situation in our life. We would have the life that is ideal for us as a child of God, created in his image and likeness!

How do you end the day?

IT’S a question we should ask ourselves from time to time. We just cannot and should not end the day in any which way. There is actually a proper way to do it, and we should be aware that many are the ways that are actually not proper to us, and worse, are even dangerous to us, health-wise, spirit-wise, or otherwise. 

 To end the day without a clear way of doing it is rather not good. We would just be at the mercy of our physical, emotional and psychological conditions that can swing here and there, causing us to lose our sense of balance, stability and focus. That kind of ending the day is proper more to animals than to men. 

Especially when we end the day with worries and anxieties still gripping us, or with anger, resentment and hatred still dominating our mind, or when we still have tension and stress running through our body, etc., we should realize that we are ending the day badly. 

 The ideal condition to end the day is when we are at peace, happy, feeling reassured even if there are still things to be done, problems to solve, issues to be resolved, failures and mistakes to make up. 

 The ideal condition to end the day is when we really would have a good rest, not only physically, emotionally, psychologically, but most importantly, spiritually. We feel reassured that we are resting with God, with Christ who precisely told us to go to him since he is the one who will give us rest. (cfr. Mt 11,28) 

 The ideal condition to end the day is when we feel we have accomplished at least something in accord with God’s will. And for that reason, we feel thankful and eager to continue doing more good. Of course, we would have the usual share of failures and other negative things, for which we should just say sorry and feel reassured that God always forgives. It’s his delight to forgive. 

 We have to realize first of all that we end the day more or less also in the way we begin and spend the day. Did we begin and spend it with God or just with our own selves, chasing our own things? Did we follow God’s commandments or simply followed the dictates of our flesh and the things of the world? 

 We have to realize more deeply that the proper way to spend the day and, in fact, to live our life is to live it with God and for God. We have to learn how to react promptly and properly when we stray from that rule. And nowadays, that rule may require tremendous effort since we are bombarded right and left with pressures that lead us to self-indulgence. We may not even notice it. 

 Our way of ending the day should somehow reflect the way Christ ended his redemptive mission on earth. There will be some kind of suffering and death also, but the resurrection is assured. 

 It would be good that we make an examination of conscience before we go to bed so that, at least, we can have an idea of how the day was spent, thankful for the accomplishments and sorry for the negative things. That way, we can reconcile ourselves with God and with everyone else, both offering and asking for forgiveness, as the case may be.

Die in order to live

CHRIST told us this very clearly. “Whoever loses his life for my sake, he is the one who will save it.” (Lk 9,24) We need to make some drastic adjustments in our attitudes and thinking to accommodate this truth of our faith as spoken plainly to us by Christ who is the fullness of God’s revelation to us. 

 We have to understand these words very well, because Christ for sure did not mean that we commit suicide out of our supposed love for him, much like those fanatic terrorist suicide bombers who unfortunately are becoming more common these days. 

 These suicide bombers sometimes cite some religious motives to justify their actions. But that is not what Christ meant when he said “whoever loses his life for my sake…” What he means is precisely to shed off our sinful selves, that is, the old man in us, in order to live our life with Christ who is precisely the pattern of our humanity. 

 This means that we have to continually fight against our weakness, our temptations and our sins that separate us from Christ or that violate the will of God for us. This will involve going against what we like in order to conform our will, our mind and heart to the will and ways of God as taught, shown and lived by Christ himself. 

 That is what is meant by “losing his life for my (Christ’s) sake.” We need to realize that our weaknesses, temptations and sins can so dominate us that they can practically become our life. And that is the life that we have to lose for the sake of Christ. 

 This fight against our weaknesses, temptations and sins will obviously involve effort, pain and suffering, since what is involved is the loosening of our will, our most precious and intimate faculty that practically identifies who we really are, so that our will conforms to the will of God. 

 Yes, it’s going to be a “bloody” struggle, but a struggle that is unavoidable and necessary. Besides, we are assured of victory as long as we go along with Christ who makes himself so available to us that he is all there for us. 

 We should never think that we will be going through this struggle by our lonesome, relying only on our own human powers. It’s true that what we would be tackling is overwhelming. But if we only open ourselves to God, nothing would be impossible for us. 

 We have to strengthen our belief that God never abandons us. It is rather us who can abandon him. That’s the problem that we have to try our best to resolve. If our faith is strong, we would know how to go through the process of suffering and dying to ourselves so we can rise with Christ. 

 In this regard, we have to meditate well on the passion, death and resurrection of Christ. It’s there where we are given a clear idea of how to suffer and die to ourselves so that, like Christ, we too can resurrect with him. 

 We have to learn how to assume the same motives that Christ had in going through his passion and death. It’s when we have the very mind and spirit of Christ as he faced his final act of love for us in obedience to the Father’s will that we can manage to face our suffering and death without fear. 

 While the pain and suffering in dying to oneself cannot be underestimated, we can still manage to find peace and confidence because we would know that that pain and suffering can only lead us to our greatest good and joy!