The off-ramp for judgmentalism

CHRIST tells us where we can find that exit from our strong tendency to be judgmental. “Judge not, that you may not be judged, for with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged, and with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again.” (Mt 7,1-2) 

 How should we understand these words? Are we not to make any judgment all? That’s impossible, since the first step for us to know something is to make a judgment. So, how should we understand these words? 

 We definitely are meant to judge, but to judge fairly. That point is implied when Christ said, “For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged. And with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again.” 

 In fact, in the gospel of St. John, we hear Christ saying: “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge just judgment.” (7,24) It’s clear that we have to be most careful in our judgments. We cannot be reckless about them, judging persons and things on the basis of instincts or feelings alone, or on some opinions, personal preferences, social trends, and even sophisticated theories and ideologies. 

 Given our wounded condition here on earth, we know that we always carry with us certain biases and prejudices, and our judgments somehow are colored by them. We can have our first impressions that definitely bear these biases and prejudices, but we should make the effort to purify them. 

 We have to judge with Christ himself, and now in the Holy Spirit. With respect to this point, St. Paul had this to say: “He that is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.” (1 Cor 2,15) It is not pride to aspire to that ideal of being so spiritual to be able to judge all things. 

 Only in this way can we become persons of sound judgment. It’s an ideal whose importance, relevance and urgency are increasing these days, given the complicating conditions we are getting into. 

 That’s actually an understatement. We know that to be a prudent man or a person of sound judgment is essential to us, considering our nature and dignity, plus the growing scope of the responsibilities we are acquiring nowadays. 

 Not only do we have to contend with the multiplying pressures and conditionings on our personal, family and professional life. Not only do we have to grapple with the confusing ramifications of our social, economic and political life, sorting them out as best that we could. 

 With escalating insistence, we need to learn how to integrate the material with the spiritual dimension of our life, the here and now with the eternal and supernatural destiny meant for us. 

 We have to know how to live by faith, hope and charity, the essence of our supernatural life with God, in the middle of our daily activities and concerns, and in the pursuit of our temporal affairs, be it in business, politics, education, culture, sports, etc. 

 This necessity demands of us to be nothing less than persons of sound judgment. We have to overcome our tendency to be guided mainly by instincts, emotions, moods, fashions, and some sophisticated philosophies and ideologies that, while offering many good elements, actually lead us away from our proper end. 

 Let’s never dare to emit judgments that are mere products of our own making. We have to make them always in the presence of God and motivated by nothing other than love for God and for everybody else. We have to continually check on the rectitude of our intention, and the correctness and timeliness of our words and deeds.

Trust God and be fearless

WHEN Christ told his disciples, “Therefore fear them not, for nothing is covered that shall not be revealed, nor hid, that shall not be known,” (Mt 10,26) he was practically reassuring them—and now, us—that our courage in the face of whatever fear we may have in this life should be rooted in God’s knowledge, his power and faithfulness to those who believe and confess him. 

 We should not let other people’s hostility control us. The lesson to draw is that even if others may misunderstand us, or slander and persecute us, God in the end will reveal what is true and bring everything into the open. 

 We should not worry too much about the misunderstanding and even hatred that others may have against us, because we have been given all the assurances that if we are with God, everything would just turn our right. 

 Evil does not have the last word, unless we let it. It is the good that will have the last word. And so, we just have to learn how to go through such things even to the extent of cooperating with evil materially, not formally, if only to change things for the better. 

 In this, we should look at Christ not only as the model but also and most especially as the power to enable us to derive good from evil regardless of all the dirt involved in the process. 

 What we are asked to fear is to fear offending God. Christ articulated this truth when he said, “Fear not them that kill the body, and not able to kill the soul. Rather, fear him that can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Mt 10,28) 

 We have to know when to be afraid and when not. We have to distinguish between a good fear and a bad fear, a healthy one and a sick one. We need to know how to handle and deal with our fears that are unavoidable in our life. 

 Fear is an emotion that we need to educate also. It just cannot be on its own, guided only by our spontaneous judgments and reactions, and appearing when it’s not supposed to, and not appearing when it’s supposed to. It has to be grounded and oriented properly, expressing the sublimity of our dignity as persons and children of God. 

 Let’s remember that among the gifts of the Holy Spirit is the fear of the Lord. It’s the good and healthy fear of a child who is afraid to offend his father. It’s a filial fear, not a servile one. It’s one that, instead of being tempted to run away from God, would rather motivate one to get closer to him. 

It’s the fear of losing God, even if we may have offended him and have to do something to atone and repair. It’s the fear that we should foster, especially these days when we see a lot of people who are not afraid anymore to offend God. Though to be fair, we can also say that many do not fear God anymore because in the first place they don’t know him. No one fears what he doesn’t know. 

 In all our affairs and situations in life, we should always go to God to ask for his help and guidance, and to trust his ways and his providence, even if the outcome of our prayers and petitions appears unanswered, if not, contradicted. 

 This should be the attitude to have. It’s an attitude that can only indicate our unconditional faith and love for God who is always in control of things, and at the same time can also leave us in peace and joy even at the worst of the possibilities.

Bank with eternity, not with earth

THAT’S practically what can come to our mind when we consider Christ’s words to his disciples: “Lay not up to yourselves treasures on earth, where the rust and moth consume, and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up to yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither the rust nor moth consumes, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.” (Mt 6,19-20) 

 It’s like saying that we should invest in what would last for eternity, where God keeps it. This can only mean that we should put our heart into things with eternal value, prioritizing eternal rewards over earthly gain. 

 I suppose what all this means is that we should take care of our heart, of what is truly inside our heart, for what we keep there will determine what we will be in the end. It’s a matter of ordering our desires and intentions toward what cannot perish, and that can only be God. 

 We need to see to it that even as we immerse ourselves as deeply as possible in our earthly affairs, we do not lose our sense of heaven and eternity. In fact, the ideal is that as we go deeper in our temporal affairs, our sense of heaven and eternity should also become sharper. 

 This is always possible and doable as long as we are guided first of all by our faith rather than by our feelings and by our merely human estimation of things. Let’s always remember that it is our faith, our Christian faith, that gives the whole picture of our life—where we come from, where we are supposed to go, the purpose of our life here on earth, the true value of our mundane concerns, etc. 

 Let’s be theological in our thinking and reaction to the things of this world. For that, we, of course, would need some training. It should consist of always referring things to God, whatever they may be—good or bad, a success or a failure, a victory or a defeat, etc. We need to feel the urge to do so. 

 In short, we have to keep our spiritual and supernatural bearing which should involve a certain detachment from the things of the world. For this detachment to be lived, we should assume a certain spirit of gamesmanship or sportsmanship, since the effectiveness of our earthly affairs is not so much in whether we win or succeed in them as in whether we manage to refer them to God whatever the outcome. 

 We try to do our best to win in whatever endeavor we do, but just the same, whether we win or lose we remain happy and assured that we are all friends, brothers and sisters, and children of God. 

 The detachment involved here can be of the heroic type as illustrated in the gospel. “If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble,” Christ said, “cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.” (Mt 18,8-9) 

 Though these words should not be taken too literally, we have to understand that we have to be ready to take extraordinary means if only to stay the course in our earthly activities.

Pray simply and from the heart

THAT’S what Christ practically told his disciples as to how to pray. “When you are praying, speak not much, as the heathens. For they think that in their much speaking they may be heard,” he said. He then continued: “Be not you therefore be like to them, for your Father knows what is needful for you, before you ask him.” (Mt 6,7-8) And he concluded by saying the Lord’s Prayer or the Our Father. 

 This prayer is the model prayer because, first of all, it came directly from Christ who can rightly be regarded as the master and model of prayer since he gives us what the Father gave him. And as the Word made flesh and as our Savior, he knows our needs and teaches us how to express them. He is the perfect link, perfect mediator between God and man. 

 This prayer is the model prayer also because it gathers the whole Christian Gospel into a simple form. It is the summary of the whole gospel, reflecting the heart of Christianity that shows us who God is and how we, as God’s children, should respond. 

 It also teaches us what to desire and in what order, showing us how our priorities should be with respect to what we have to ask God our Father. In other words, it orders our desires. It also trains us to pray as God’s children, and not just as isolated individuals. Thus, it is considered as the prayer of the whole Church. 

 This prayer is also considered as the model prayer because it is ordered toward God’s glory and God’s will. It includes the duty to ask for forgiveness for our sins as well as to extend mercy to those who may have done us wrong. 

 More than that, this prayer asks for deliverance from the real spiritual dangers we face in this life. In this prayer, we ask for protection even as we are encouraged to be vigilant and confident of God’s ever-ready help. 

 But more importantly, Christ tells us that our prayer should be trustful, God-centered and morally transformative, and not just performative or merely wordy. He warns us against “heaping up empty phrases” and “vain repetitions,” since prayer is not persuasion-by-volume, but rather is humble asking. 

 We have to understand that to pray properly means that God already knows our needs. It is not about informing God about what we need. It is rather turning our heart to him, showing how our relationship with him should be one of dependence on a Father who already knows our needs and cares for us. 

 Our prayer should have as an effect a certain conversion of heart and not just some vague feeling of being spiritual. It should lead us to acknowledge our sinfulness and our sins and should lead us to desire for reconciliation and change of ways. 

 We should therefore realize how important it is for us to know how to pray properly, since it is our way of uniting ourselves with God, our Creator and Father, with whom we are supposed to be always, since our life, as an image and likeness of God, is meant to be a shared life with God. 

 Praying is to our spiritual life what breathing and the beating of the heart are to our biological life. That is why St. Paul clearly said, “Pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thes 5,17-18) 

 When we manage to truly pray, we can also manage to protect ourselves from all kinds of evil, and to heal whatever wounds and weaknesses we may have because of our sins. A sense of holy invulnerability can come to us.

Serving without a spotlight

THAT’S what Christ told his disciples, and now, us. “Take heed that you do not your justice before men, to be seen by them; otherwise, you shall not have a reward of your Father who is in heaven.” (Mt 6,1) 

 As an example, he said: “Therefore, when you do an almsdeed, sound not a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be honored by men. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.” 

 Christ wants us to practice our charity quietly, without fanfare, vanity or pride. We have to carry out what we may call as the ministry of the unnoticed. That way, we do good works with purity of intention. 

 Doing good while passing unnoticed was the way Christ lived charity. He helped a lot of people but refused to be given praise for it. Even in his best expression of love for us when he conquered sin and death through his resurrection, it was hidden. What was made public was his crucifixion and death. 

 This way of acting would ensure that our works of charity are fully directed toward God, and not for human applause, which can easily be used as a cover for hypocrisy. This may be called as a holy discretion which would only allow God to know the good works, protecting us from the dangers of vanity and pride. All the glory should be to God, making the effort to avoid diverting it to us, not even in a most subtle way. 

 This way of acting can only show the supernatural maturity we have reached. It reflects a shift from a “childish” need for approval to a living divine filiation where being seen by God alone is sufficient. 

 This should also be a lesson for all of us to follow. In all our thoughts, words and actuations, we should see to it that we feed our faith, that we are led to God, that in the end we manage to live true charity that includes all the other virtues. 

 We should do our best to avoid getting hijacked in the purely material or practical aspects of our life. We should imitate Christ in his discretion and restraint, in his art of passing unnoticed, in his effort to avoid grabbing unnecessary and dangerous attention from others, by seeing to it that our thoughts, words and deeds truly lead others to God, and not simply to us. 

 At best, we should simply be conductors to bring others to Christ. We should avoid making ourselves something like idols, objects of interest. The ideal situation would be that all who see us should see Christ, as he himself said it clearly to his apostles, then to us. 

 We have to learn to pass unnoticed while doing things that would lead others to Christ! We need to realize then that we have to take utmost care of our intention, making it as explicit as possible, and honing it to get engaged with its proper and ultimate object who is God. 

 We should try our best to shun being simply casual or cavalier about this responsibility. We can easily play around with it, since intentions are almost invariably hidden from public knowledge. We are urged to be most sincere in directing our intentions properly. 

 We can easily fall into hypocrisy and deception, doing what can appear good externally but is not internally, since we could refuse giving glory to God, which is the proper intention to have, and instead feed and stir our vanity, pride, greed, lust, etc.

Loving enemies as mark of Christian perfection

THIS is what we can gather from that gospel episode (cfr. Mt 5,43-48) where Christ told his disciples: “You have heard that it has been said, Thou shall love thy neighbor, and hate thy enemy. But I say to you, Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that persecute and calumniate you.” 

 And then he gave the reason for this incredible commandment by saying, “That you may be the children of your Father who is in heaven, who makes his sun to rise upon the good, and bad, and rains upon the unjust and the unjust.” Then, at the end, he concluded by saying, “Be you therefore perfect, as also your heavenly Father is perfect.” 

 As we can see, the love we ought to have for one another should have no boundaries, since it has to include our enemies. We are asked to love without keeping score. Everything has to be done gratuitously. And our love would be more perfect, more meritorious the more unlovable our enemy would be.

 Said another way, we can say that loving our enemies can only show how mature our faith is, how complete our discipleship to Christ is, and how we are more identified with God who created us as his image and likeness, sharers of his life and nature. 

 Loving our enemies is not merely a human moral improvement. Rather, it is a living participation in the divine manner of loving, shaping us into the likeness of God’s fatherly goodness. Loving our enemies, therefore, constitutes the perfection of charity. 

 Still, we have to clarify that we love our enemies for who they are, children of God as we are, and not for whatever evil or mistake they have done. 

 We just have to understand that we can only manage to love our enemies if we truly are with God through Christ in the Spirit. He, after all, is the source, the power and the pattern of how this kind of love can take place. 

 So, the challenge to face and the task to do is how to immerse ourselves in God, practically identifying ourselves with him, since we are meant to be his image and likeness. Our true and ultimate dignity and identity is that of being children of God. 

 In other words, the fullness and perfection of our humanity is when we finally become like God which can only take place in heaven. But while here on earth, we just have to do our best to pursue that ideal. 

 To be sure, on God’s part, all the means are already made available. We are already given the doctrine of our faith so we would know what right and wrong are in our earthly pilgrimage. We are given the sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist, so we can truly be identified with Christ who is the pattern of our humanity. We have the Church and the accompaniment of angels, saints and holy people, etc. 

 On our part, we just have to learn to pray and to truly have a vital encounter with God, which is actually possible and doable, because God is already with us. Being our Creator who puts and keeps us in existence, he can never be absent from us. We just have to learn how to get in touch with him, for only then can we aspire to be in our ideal condition as man. 

 We have to understand that the commandment to love our enemies is due to the fact that we are meant to be truly one with God. And it is the fullness of love that can do that.

Not against, but beyond

THIS is about charity, the very essence of God. And as God’s image and likeness, we are supposed to also have this essence. It’s a charity that is not simply human and natural, but rather divine and supernatural. As such, it requires the very grace of God for us to have it. 

 But we have to understand that this charity that does not go against our human nature. It simply goes beyond it, purifying and elevating our human love to make it also divine. 

 This truth of our Christian faith is illustrated in that gospel episode where Christ spelled out how we have to love. “You have heard that it has been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth,” he said. “But I say to you not to resist evil: but if one strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him also the other; and if a man will contend with you in judgment, and take away your coat, let go your cloak also to him.” (Mt 5,38-40) 

 More than that, Christ also said, “And whosoever will force you one mile, go with him other two. Give to him that asks of you and from him who would borrow from you, turn not away.” (41-42) 

 It’s indeed a mind-blowing description of how our charity should be. We are asked not to retaliate from unregulated revenge while defending justice. We are directed toward patient endurance. 

 We are asked to train our heart to respond with mercy and self-giving, refusing to escalate when struck, giving more rather than grabbing back, being willing to endure inconvenience. 

 This is not, of course, about self-destruction for its own sake, but rather about self-restraint and mercy even while suffering injustice. That way, our response to injustice would not become another act of harm and would thereby end the cycle of counter-attacks. 

 We have to learn to overcome evil with good, a very intriguing part of Christian charity. Not only should we love our enemies, as Christ taught us, but we also need to drown evil with an abundance of good. 

 We have to try our best to erase whatever disbelief, doubt or skepticism we can have as we consider this teaching, since most likely, our first and spontaneous reaction to it would precisely be those conditions. We can ask, even if done only interiorly, “Is Christ really serious about this? Can this thing that Christ is telling us, possible, doable?” 

 When these reactions come to us, it is time to remind ourselves that we just have to follow our faith that definitely contains a lot of mysteries and things supernatural that we are not expected to understand fully. Like Our Lady and all the saints, we should just believe and do what we are told because it is Christ who said so, and because it is the Church that teaches us so. 

 That’s what faith is all about. By believing first, then we can start to understand things that are hard to explain or articulate in human terms. As they say, that’s how the ball bounces. We should not waste time trying to understand everything at once or at the beginning. Let’s be game enough to go through some kind of adventure that, no matter how the outcome would be, we know that God is in control of everything. 

 We should just beg for God’s grace.

Christ wants us to be missionaries

THIS we can gather from what Christ himself said, practically begging us. “The harvest indeed is great, but the laborers are few,” he said. “Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest that he sends forth laborers into his harvest.” (Mt 9,37-38) 

 And after saying this, he called his twelve disciples together and gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manners of diseases, and all manner of infirmities. All this simply tells us that we would be properly equipped to carry out that mission work as long as we respond to his call. 

 We need to realize more deeply that Christ and us have the same mission. Since we are meant to be conformed to Christ, the pattern of our humanity and the savior of our damaged humanity, we also are meant to be involved in his mission. Christ treats us the same way he treats himself. 

 We have to be more aware of this truth about ourselves and try our best to act on it. To be an authentic Christian is not simply to be interested in one’s own sanctification. He also has to be involved in the sanctification of everyone. A Christian is at once interested in sanctifying himself and in sanctifying others and the world as well. 

 To be sure, if we have the proper Christian frame of mind, we know that every event, circumstance, situation and condition in our life is an occasion to carry out our mission work. Even when one is isolated for one reason or another, he still can do apostolate, because this duty is not limited to dealing with others in a direct, physical way. It can be done with prayers, sacrifices and intentions. Indeed, there is no moment in our life when we cannot do apostolate! 

 We also have to realize that our pursuit for sanctity cannot be genuine if it does not involve doing apostolate. In fact, the tasks of sanctification and apostolate mutually help each other. One cannot be without the other. 

 In this regard, it behooves all of us to immerse ourselves in the complexities of today’s life. Christian missionaries need not be priests and nuns, consecrated and religious people. Everyone should feel the duty to do missionary work. 

 Where the people are, we should also be there, tackling with everyone else the spiritual and moral challenges of the times, finding ways of sanctifying everything and leading everyone and the world to God. 

 We, of course, have to be properly trained and skilled in the ways of the spiritual and supernatural, on the one hand, and of the mundane and secular on the other. We have to learn how to blend the sacred things in life and the earthly and temporal elements. 

 This means that we have to be truly spiritual men, so vitally identified with Christ that we can take on anything without getting scandalized by the complexities and the unavoidable dirt of today’s challenges. 

 Obviously, we need a working spirituality that is fueled by a deep sense of commitment and love of God and souls, and nourished by an adequate plan or program of acts of piety. We indeed need to pray a lot, and be willing to make sacrifices and all kinds of self-denials, have recourse to the sacraments, continually develop the virtues and constantly sharpen their apostolic concern, etc. 

 We have to bring to life the guidelines that ultimately come from Christ and are expressed more concretely by the Church, especially in her social doctrine.

Heart to heart with Jesus

ON the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, what we are reminded of is the invitation to give our whole heart to Jesus so as to transform it and unite it with the very heart of Jesus. It should remind us of God’s appeal to us as mentioned in the Book of Proverbs: “My child, give me your heart, and let your eyes delight in my ways.” (23,26) 

 On this Solemnity, we should have a personal and most intimate encounter with Jesus himself—especially his pierced love—and respond with trust, love in action and a life shaped by the Gospel. We need to spend time in some quiet and secluded place—better still, before the Blessed Sacrament in a church or chapel—so that we can have a heart-to-heart interaction and experience with him. 

 This is always possible if we would only activate our faith and piety. Perhaps what can be helpful is to take a break from our usual daily activities so we can have a devotional communion with him who is everything to us. 

 If we want our heart to be in its best and ideal condition, it should be conformed after Christ’s Sacred Heart. It should not be allowed to throb for anything else, something that we should train our heart to avoid. Instead, we have to do everything for it be raised to God all the time, whether we are in our good or bad times, in our successes or failures, in our joys and sorrows, etc. 

 Our heart, which is the very core of our being, the most intimate part of our life, the place where things start and end, where we meet God and hear his voice,…this heart of ours comes from God, is actually shaped after the most sacred heart of Jesus who is the pattern of our humanity, and belongs to God. We should be clear about this fundamental truth of our faith. 

 That could be the reason why Christ, when asked what the greatest commandment was, said that it is to love God “with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Mt 22,37) God is not asking too much from us with that commandment. He is not asking something unreasonable. In fact, he is offering what would be the best deal for us. 

 We need to broaden and deepen our understanding of the true nature and character of our life here on earth, and of the role of our heart in it, always guided by our Christian faith and not just by any purely human estimation, no matter how brilliant it is, if only to realize that we need to conform our heart to Christ’s Sacred Heart. 

 We need to constantly ask ourselves as we go through the many affairs of our day, “Where is my heart? Is it with God? Is it throbbing in synch with Christ’s Sacred Heart? Do we really know what is in that Sacred Heart of Christ?, etc.” 

 That way we would get some ideas of what to do to conform our heart to Christ’s Sacred Heart. Yes, there will be some difficulties, awkwardness, even mistakes, but if we persist, for sure the way to see and imitate what is inside Christ’s Sacred Heart would open to us. 

 If we become more and more familiar with the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we would know why we always have to be patient, understanding, compassionate, magnanimous, etc. The very image of Christ, the pattern of our humanity and the savior of our damaged humanity, would be formed in us. 

 We can echo the same words of St. Paul: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me!” (Gal 2,20)

Seeing God, seeing all

I LOVE music and I like to sing. And one song that captivated me almost completely during my youth was entitled, “I only have eyes for you.” It’s a romantic ballad with a timeless, sentimental quality. 

 The music is characterized by a gentle, soaring melody that complements the tender lyrics, creating a dreamy, nostalgic atmosphere. The tune is catchy and easy to sing along to, with a simple, yet effective harmony. The lyrics are classic, focusing on the theme of being completely devoted to someone, with a sense of simplicity and sincerity. 

 Part of its lyrics talk about not giving a hoot whether the stars and the moon are out tonight, or whether there are millions of people passing by. They all disappear because “I only have eyes for you.” A similar song came later, entitled, “Can’t take my eyes off you.” It was an upbeat, catchy pop song about being infatuated with someone. 

 Both songs talk about how our eyes are affected when we fall in love. Of course, in these songs, they talk about falling in love with someone that hopefully will end up in marriage. It’s a human love that is exclusive since it involves the use of the body. 

 That’s because if love involves total self-giving, that love which involves the body can only be between one man and one woman, since the body when given totally to one person cannot anymore be shared with anybody else. 

 It’s different when we talk about loving God. When we give ourselves totally to God as is proper of what true love is, then we cannot help but also love everybody and everything else. That’s because God loves everyone and everything, he being the Creator of all creatures, creating them out of love. It’s a love that is all inclusive and universal in scope. 

 We therefore should see to it that our eyes, as a function and instrument of love, should first of all be directed to God so that we can learn to love everyone and everything in the way God loves them. 

 Here we have to train ourselves to use our eyes to look for God first, so that seeing him in everyone and in everything, we can manage to love everyone and everything. 

 Or we have to train ourselves to love everyone and everything, irrespective of how they are, so we can truly say that we love God, following what St. John said in his First Letter that we can love the unseen God by loving the people we can see. (cfr. 4,20) 

 We can do this if we activate our faith that eventually will lead us to charity, enabling us to love everyone and everything, including the enemies and all the other negative elements in our life. 

 We should be wary of using our eyes and all our other human faculties to only pursue an exclusive kind of love, a love that is only lived in the human and natural level. Our true love should go beyond that level. It has to be supernatural, nothing less than the divine love that God shares with us. 

 We should therefore try to develop the instinct of always looking for God so we can see him in everyone and in everything, and from there start to love everyone and everything the way God loves them. This we can do by seeing to it that everything that happens to us, every event in our life, whether considered humanly speaking good or bad, should be referred to God. 

 We should have an intense desire to see God in everyone and in everything. And all this driven by our faith, hope and charity.

“Teach me your paths, my God”

THAT’S a beautiful psalm (25,4b) that should remind us that we need to be aware that it is God’s continuing, loving, merciful and effective providence that guides us toward our ultimate and real goal in life. 

 It would be good if we can repeat this psalm often so we can protect ourselves from our strong tendency to think that we can just depend on our own selves to navigate life’s complexities and steer through life’s challenges. 

 For this, we need to humble ourselves and always feel the need for God’s guidance. We have to be guarded against our tendency, especially when we happen to be quite gifted, to think that we can depend mainly, if not solely, on our own human powers. 

 We should give full trust on God’s providence because even if our plans would look uncertain and our actions appear to only yield failures, God’s purpose for us will always be established. With him, everything will always work out for the good. (cfr. Rom 8,28) 

 We should strengthen our belief that nothing escapes divine providence. As the creator and the cause of all things, God’s providence must include the preservation and guidance of all the creatures down to the smallest details. His guidance is not only about “big picture” outcomes, but about the ongoing order by which creatures reach their end. 

 But we have to understand also that God’s providence is not a controlling force that would nullify our freedom. Rather, he grounds the existence of all creatures on himself and guides them according to the nature he gives them. In short, God does not compete with his creatures. He considers them as instruments of his providence. And even if a creature acts contrary to his providence, his guidance cannot be stopped. 

 We should understand then that God’s providence is his continuing love for us. On our part, we should try our best to be always aware of his constant guidance over us, ever trusting it without allowing it to replace our responsibility. 

 This certainty of God’s constant guidance over us should enable us to face the complex and often confusing conditions of our life with hope and courage. We can face life’s unpredictability without panic. 

 We need to learn how to be discerning of God’s guidance over us. We have to realize that since God’s providence is “concrete and immediate,” our prayerful discernment should not only be general. We can bring our concrete decisions, fears and hopes to God who actually cares for the least things. 

 Again, a good attitude to assume in this regard is to continually ask God, “Teach me your paths, my God.” Especially when our plans appear to be uncertain, let us strengthen our trust in his providence. 

 In short, this beautiful psalm should remind us that we ought to have a humble dependence on God, seek concrete guidance for our conduct, reject counterfeit and often broad direction, expect ongoing formation that we always need, and submit ourselves to God’s authentic teaching. 

 Indeed, we just cannot teach ourselves about how to live. It is God who is the proper teacher of how to live. And as mentioned in the gospel, God’s paths differ from the big and wide ways that lead to ruin. (cfr. Mt 7,13-14) We have to make a moral and spiritual discernment that is distinct from just following what is popular and easy. 

 We also need to realize that asking God to teach us his ways means that it is a continuing process and that he teaches through revealed “ways” and not through some private improvisation.

Our need for a daily reset

GIVEN the obvious fact that we are easily trapped in our worldly condition, practically unmindful of the ultimate spiritual and supernatural dimensions of our life, we should feel the need for a daily reset so as to be properly anchored and directed to the ultimate goal of our life. 

 Yes, we are meant for keep a spiritual and supernatural bearing in our life here on earth. This is not only for some people. It is for everyone. We just have to help one another to develop this spiritual and supernatural bearing, since this is what is proper to us. 

 As persons with intelligence and will, we cannot help but have a spiritual character in our life. With these natural endowments, we are meant to enter into the spiritual world of ideas and rationality, of cognition and love that goes beyond the material and sensible aspects of our life. 

 And as children of God, created in God’s image and likeness, we are meant to enter into an intimate relation with him, which cannot be other than supernatural, since God is beyond our nature. 

 This is always possible since God gives us his grace, and we, on our part, with our spiritual endowment of intelligence and will, are enabled to be elevated to the supernatural order of God when we, with the proper disposition of humility, faith and charity, correspond to God’s grace. That’s when we enter into the supernatural world of God. 

 This basic truth of our life should always be on our mind, and should animate all our thoughts, words and deeds. We need to pause from time to time to allow this truth to take hold of our mind and heart, and of our life, in general, using the appropriate means. 

 We really have to learn how to deal with our spiritual and supernatural world because that is where the real action is and where our ultimate goal is. That’s where we are truly defined, where our radical dignity is established. That’s where we can have our encounter with God. 

 For us, the material and natural world is nothing if not related to the spiritual and the supernatural world. Our material and natural world can only have meaning and purpose if related to the spiritual and the supernatural, that is, if related ultimately to God. 

 In this regard, we should have some working plan and strategy, consisting of some practices of piety, like prayer, presence of God, recourse to the sacraments, etc., so that we can keep that spiritual and supernatural bearing even as we immerse ourselves in the things of this world, as we should. 

 To be sure, there is some kind of awkwardness involved at the beginning of this effort. In this, we should not be surprised, since what is involved requires us to go beyond, but not against, our natural self. We have to train our natural powers to align themselves or to correspond properly to the spiritual and supernatural means that are needed. 

 Again, a lot of humility is needed here so that the powers of the divine gifts of faith, hope and charity can operate and lead us to where God himself wants us to go. Let’s remember that as creatures of God, let alone, adopted children of his, meant to share his life and nature, we are supposed to follow the guidance of God through his providence. 

 This daily reset can be done right at the beginning of the day, as we wake up, when we remind ourselves of who we really are, what our ultimate goal in life is, what means we can use, and always reminding ourselves that God is constantly guiding us.

A calm and gentle disposition

WITH the increasingly toxic air we are having these days, due mainly to rabid political influencers who shamelessly force their views on us as if they are the only ones who are correct, we need to strongly remind ourselves that it is all worthwhile to develop a calm and gentle disposition. Many benefits can be drawn from such effort. 

 For one, it would help us to smoothly handle, if not avoid, stressful situations. It creates an environment that is soothing, calming and relaxing. Indeed, we can expect a more serene and idyllic setting and tone. Nowadays, with increasing cases of people with some mental or psychological issues, it would truly be helpful for us to cultivate a calm and gentle disposition. 

 Another advantage of this kind of disposition is the fostering of better relationships among ourselves. When we are calm and gentle, people most likely would feel more comfortable around us. Mental reservations, animosities and other hidden forms of critical thoughts would somehow disappear or at least minimized. Charity, compassion, empathy, etc. would be better lived. 

 Still more, a calm and gentle disposition facilitates clearer thinking and better judgments. It would enable us to consider things under different aspects, broadening our views and moving beyond our unavoidable biases and prejudices. This way, we can manage to get out of our own entrapping world and to have a glimpse, at least, of the world outside. 

 It also cannot be denied that a calm and gentle disposition can truly improve our health, allowing us to lower our blood pressure and to be less prone to worries and anxieties. It would give us a drive and an energy that is purified and properly directed and pursued. 

 Definitely, a calm and gentle disposition would make us more resilient, able to adapt properly to the varying conditions of our life. When we are in good times, we can manage to remain humble and avoid being corrupted by vanity and the like. When are in bad times, we can manage to avoid discouragement and depression, and to keep on hoping, always thinking of alternative ways of coping with the situation. 

 To cultivate this kind of disposition, it would be good if we learn how to practice mindfulness and meditation which are powerful in calming our mind. Prayer, getting in touch with the ever almighty and merciful God would surely be helpful. 

 Taking regular deep breaths would also help, since these would slow down our heart rate. Doing regular physical exercises would also help in releasing tension and boosting our mood. 

 Yes, getting enough sleep is truly helpful. It acts as a way of recharging and refreshing ourselves, considering that during the day we would be confronted with all sorts of tasks, challenges and trials. In this regard, we should be careful when we are tempted to cut our sleep because of continual scrolling in the social media, a common sad phenomenon these days. 

 We can manage to develop a calm and gentle disposition if we train ourselves to focus on others, practicing empathy and kindness, thinking well of others in spite of their defects and other shortcomings, letting go of grudges and other negative thoughts. Of course, we should also take breaks and learn to relax, doing things that bring us joy. 

 But what is most important is to keep our spiritual life, our relation with God and with others healthy and properly nourished. We need to pray, practice some forms of self-denial, avail of the sacraments, wage continual ascetical struggle, developing virtues, etc.

The Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ

THE Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, or Corpus Christi, should spur us to sharpen our understanding and appreciation of the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist where Christ himself, both God and man, gives himself completely to us—body, soul, his humanity and divinity—so we can be one with him. This is what is meant to be a Eucharistic life and for us to be Eucharistic souls. 

 Through the liturgy, the real Christ comes to us, remains here on earth and makes himself intimately available to us. With the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, Christ and us are not held hostage by the limitations of space and time. We manage to be together—in fact, in so direct and personal a way as to be properly termed as communion, a union of life and love. 

 With this sacrament, time and eternity merge, and so do heaven and earth. United to it, even our smallest and most insignificant detail in our life, including our sufferings and things we don’t like, acquire eternal and redemptive value. 

 This is the supreme treasure of a truth that we all need to be more aware of. Hopefully, we can then start to earnestly conform our whole life to this reality—our thoughts and desires, our feelings, outlook and attitudes, etc. 

 In fact, this is the ideal that we should pursue always. This is because the Eucharist, the real Christ in the sacrament, is the ultimate and constant food for our life. We don’t depend only on food, water and air. We depend wholly on Christ. 

 And neither do we depend only on our intellectual progress and technological and scientific advancement. These things can be very impressive. But they don’t completely satisfy our soul. We long for more. It’s Christ that does that. 

 Our usual problem is that we don’t go all the way in our Eucharistic faith. Our devotion to it often appears simply posed, scripted and staged, and not really issuing vitally from our heart and life. Thus, it is also not abiding, but rather intermittent. It’s on and off depending on conditions. 

 It should be no surprise if we are often dominated by our weaknesses, not to mention, the continuing temptations around us. 

 Our catechesis on this truth of our faith should never stop. Parents in their respective families should talk ceaselessly about this. Priests, of course, should preach about it in homilies and in other occasions. 

 Everyone should do something to help one another live an authentic Eucharistic life. We have to foster going to Mass often, making visits to the Blessed Sacrament, spending time adoring our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament chapels, making frequent spiritual communions, etc. 

 We have to understand that our life should not be any other than Eucharistic! That is how we can be truly human, because the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist is where we have our most precious treasure, our everything, our light, our purification, our salvation. 

 That’s where we have Christ not only in real presence, as in the Blessed Sacrament, nor as spiritual food, as in the Holy Communion, but primarily as our savior who continues to offer his life on the cross for us, as in the Holy Mass. 

 For this, we need to be theological in our thinking to capture this reality and live in accordance to it not only from time to time, but rather all the time and everywhere, whatever our situation is.

Where our perfection lies

THERE’S a passage from the Second Letter of St. Paul to Timothy that tells us where we can have our perfection. It says: “All scripture, inspired of God, is profitable to teach, to reprove, to correct, to instruct in justice, that the man of God may be perfect, furnished to every good work.” (3,16-17) 

 Yes, our perfection is when we truly become men and women of God, having the very spirit of God, sharing his very life and nature. And the way to go is to fully live our faith by embodying the very teachings of God as transmitted to us in the Scripture. 

 This idea of our perfection and of how we can achieve it should be known as widely as possible because nowadays the great majority of the people all over the world, let’s be frank about it, do not anymore know it, if at all they care about it. 

 Many do not anymore have any knowledge, much less, interest and skills, about how to develop a working relation with God, about the need to have an effective life of piety that is given regular nourishment through certain practices. 

 There’s no question that it’s going to be difficult, given the way we are. But it’s never impossible. As long as we open ourselves to God’s will and ways, we can hack it in spite of our natural limitations, not to mention our weaknesses and mistakes. 

 Living by God’s will 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. 

 If we are serious about pursuing an authentic Christian life, then we can readily see the importance of coming up with an effective plan that functions 24/7. 

 We have to go beyond treating our Christian life as if it’s just a matter of a set of pious practices that we do from time to time, or a question of coming up with a good behavior report. In this regard, we have to pass from amateur to professional. 

 The basic attitude that we should keep in our mind and heart is the eagerness to look for God always and in every place, situation or circumstance. We need to look for him, so we can find him, then love and serve him. That, in effect, is what Christian life is all about and where our perfection can be found. 

 This involves trying to live in the presence of God always, discerning what his will really is for us at any given moment, learning how to relate and offer our work and all our concerns to God, figuring out how our activity at the moment fits in God’s overall providence, etc. 

 We have to make this eagerness alive always, fanning it into a flame, even to the point of making some extraordinary sacrifices, as when we have to do battle with our tendency to laziness, attachment to comfort, and when gripping temptations assail us. 

To keep this lifestyle going, we need to make use of effective means that can give us the timely motives, the determined will to move on in spite of all obstacles. Our survival in this area is far more important than our survival in our earthly affairs. 

 Let’s hope that we can create a culture that can effectively relate us to God in all circumstances of our life!

Our need to suffer and die with Christ

THIS need does not mean that we should treat suffering and death as though they are “wanted” for their own sake. Our faith teaches us that they are real evils and enemies. But since we cannot avoid them because of our finite, let alone, wounded condition here on earth, God, who wants us to share his life and nature, can bring good out of them, especially through Christ’s Passion, Death and Resurrection. 

 This need has its basis in those words Christ said in response to the 2 disbelieving disciples on their way to Emmaus: “Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” (Lk 24,25-26) 

 We have to be clear about this aspect of our Christian life. Yes, we need to suffer and die, just like Christ, who is the pattern of our humanity and the savior of our damaged humanity. 

 In other words, we need to suffer and die with Christ, assuming the same reason and intention Christ had when he had to suffer and die for us. Only then can our suffering and death acquire a redemptive value. Only then can we be liberated from our sinful selves. Only then can we truly be identified with Christ. 

 We all know that suffering and death are unavoidable in our life. They are the consequences of our sins, starting with those of our first parents and then those of our own. But Christ has shown us how to deal with them so as to convert them into a way of our own redemption. And that is to suffer and die with Christ. 

 Remember what St. Paul said about death when it would happen to us with Christ? “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor 15,55-57) 

 For this to happen, we obviously need to meditate closely on the life and death of Christ. Everyday there should be some progress in our growing identification with him. Thus, we have to realize that our life should be a life of constant prayer and sacrifice, supported by an appropriate plan of life that would keep that lifestyle going. 

 It should be an integral part of our daily life to have some practices of self-denial and mortification. It could be in matters of food and drinks, in the way we use the things of our work, especially these days when we are strongly charmed by gadgets and other powerful technologies, It could be in the way we guard our senses, our thoughts, desires and intentions, our imagination, etc. 

 Of course, this life of self-denial and mortification is lived when we wage a life-long ascetical struggle, knowing how to handle our weaknesses, temptations and sin, and growing in the virtues. We need to convince ourselves that it is when we live this kind of life that we can attain true joy and peace even while here on earth. That may sound incredible, but we have Christ’s clear words to assure us of this truth. 

 For this, we also need to adjust our ideas of what is true joy and peace. We often peg them according to worldly standards alone that give us only so much but cannot go the distance. Let’s remember that Christian life, in spite of its sacrificial dimension, is a truly joyful life. 

 We need to overcome whatever fear of suffering and death we have.

The secret to keeping temptation and sin away

IT’S to fall in love, of course. But the true love that should fill our mind and heart with desires and concern to reach out to the others, to help and understand them, to find excuses for their shortcomings, quick to offer forgiveness just as we too should be quick to ask for forgiveness if we are the ones who fail them. 

 Let’s remember that it’s when we just think only about ourselves, or worse, when our mind and heart are practically empty that we open ourselves to our own weaknesses and the many temptations around. It would just be a matter of time before the fall occurs. When we occupy ourselves with concern for the others, we would have no time to be bothered by whatever weaknesses we have or by whatever temptation can hound us. 

 Nowadays, sad to say, what we are observing in the lives of many people is that they are just pursuing their own interests or, worse, are simply guided by their moods and their bodily condition. They are putting themselves most vulnerable to their weaknesses and temptations. 

 We have a big challenge to face here: how to teach people, starting with the young ones, how to truly love. This is, of course, a very demanding challenge, but it is all worthwhile, to be sure. Any step of success in this regard will have some multiplier effect that should be sustained. 

 The daunting part of this challenge is that, given our wounded earthly condition, to learn to love will always involve effort and sacrifices. It will contradict the common idea that love is always sweet. That is why, to learn to love will always involve fighting against our own selves who precisely have the strong tendency to be trapped in our own world, unmindful of the world outside. 

 But the question may be asked: how can we learn to truly love? What is the source, the power, purpose and scope of love? The answer to this question is none other than God who is love himself. And this love has been shown us by Christ, the Son of God who became man precisely to give us “the way, the truth and the life,” given our wounded condition here on earth. 

 Christ showed us this love not only by teaching us the truth about things, by doing great and very helpful miracles. He showed this love by ultimately offering his life if only to conquer all our sins and convert the death into a way of our own salvation. 

 To truly love, we should be ready to follow Christ, especially in that part of making great sacrifices even to the point of offering our life to God and to everybody else. Can we do this? Is it ever possible and practicable for us to have this kind of love? 

 We obviously can if we, in spite of our weaknesses, persist to relate ourselves with Christ, by getting to know him more, by praying, cultivating the virtues, availing of the sacraments, especially the Eucharist where Christ offers himself to us as the Bread of Life. 

 In other words, we can only truly love if our spiritual life is well taken care of, keeping it as vibrant as possible. With Christ, we would not be afraid to make sacrifices. In fact, with Christ, we can manage to see the wisdom and beauty of the sacrifices, of the Cross. It’s when we manage to love the Cross that we are assured to have the love that Christ himself has. 

 It’s when we love the Cross that we can fulfill what Christ commanded us: to love one another as he himself has loved us. (cfr. Jn 13,34)

Indifferent, self-indulgent, self-absorbed

THIS is the worst condition that we can find ourselves in, the very opposite of what is truly ideal for us. Instead of being connected and engaged to others, especially to God first, we choose to be on our own. Instead of reaching out to others, we prefer to pursue our own interests only. Instead of being empathetic and compassionate, we just focus on our own selves. We are supposed to be men and women for others. 

 We have to be wary and guarded against this possible scenario that unfortunately can be seen as getting common these days. Many people are trapped in their own world. If ever they go out of their own world, it’s because they are forced to do so or because doing so would actually serve their own self-interest. 

 These days, there are many people whom I consider trapped in the world of the senses, ruled mainly by their instincts and emotions, and easily vulnerable to mere impulses of the flesh and the usually improperly grounded worldly values and ways. Yes, many have fallen into all sorts of addiction and mental illnesses. 

 This is not what to be truly human is. A human being is a person, endowed with intelligence and will among many other faculties, and as such he is meant to be related to others. 

 In short, we are not only rational, but also relational. We actually cannot avoid it. This is where we have to consider more deeply certain duties that we have. We cannot be passive and indifferent to our relationships. Our growth, our maturity and perfection depend on how well we take care of this essential aspect. 

 We have to actively purify and strengthen them, enhance and defend them. We just cannot allow them to drift in any direction, blindly obeying the forces and impulses of the flesh and the world. They have to be directed. 

 We have to understand that we are made to enter into relations with others. Having relations is not a marginal or optional aspect of our life. It is essential to us. Even in our conception and birth, we need parents, we need a family, then a community, and all sorts of persons, both individually or collectively considered. 

 It is said that during the creation of man, God first made Adam. And though he already had relation with everything else in Paradise, God later thought Adam needed someone else “like him.” And so, Eve came along. 

 The story tells us of the kind of relationships we have. We have relations not only with objects, plant and animals, but also with other people, and ultimately, as well as primarily and constantly, with God. 

 In fact, the very basis of this relational character of our life is God himself. Though one, he is three persons. That’s because as God, he is never alone, nor idle and cold. Within himself and with the rest of creation, his eternal being and activity produce the three subsistent persons who are in perpetual relation with one another, precisely because of the eternal activity of knowing and loving within him and with the world. 

 This Trinitarian nature and life of God is the ultimate basis, pattern and goal of the relational character of our life. Thus, in the Catechism we are told: “The communion of the Holy Trinity is the source and criterion of truth in every relationship.” (2845) 

 And it adds something worth noting. “It (our every relationship) is lived out in prayer, above all in the Eucharist.” We need to understand then that our relational character is developed and lived first of all in prayer and in the Eucharist. Without prayer and the Eucharist, that relational character of our life is negated.

“Made partakers of the divine nature”

THAT’S from the Second Letter of St. Peter. (1,4) The complete verse says: “All things of his divine power which appertain to life and godliness, are given us, through the knowledge of him who has called us by his own proper glory and virtue. By whom he has given us most great and precious promises: that by these you may be made partakers of the divine nature: flying the corruption of that concupiscence which is in the world.” 

 While this foundational truth might stun us, our calling is to move from passive acceptance to active, lived application. This monumental truth certainly leaves us breathless, challenging us to not just contemplate it, but to truly walk it out. 

 That is why, St. Peter recommended the following steps to follow: “And you, employing all care, minister in your faith, virtue; and in virtue, knowledge; and in knowledge, abstinence; and in abstinence, patience; and in patience, godliness; and in godliness, love of brotherhood; and in love of brotherhood, charity.” (2 Peter 1,5-7) 

 To be partakers of the divine nature means to participate or share in the divine nature. We do not become God by our own nature; rather, God gives us a share in what he is living and giving. 

 The purpose of this participation is for moral renewal, enabling us to escape the corruption in the world. This participation in the divine nature is about being healed and transformed by escaping sin and living a new life. 

 This is the reason why God became man in Christ and made constantly present in the world through the Holy Spirit. In this way, we can truly become God’s children. 

 But for this truth of faith to take place in us, we need to humble ourselves so that the light of faith can guide us rather than we just keeping to ourselves in our own estimations and ways. Let’s remember that God is ever willing and eager to share his life and nature with us. Our sharing in God’s life starts with our faith in God, but for that faith to take root in us, we need to be humble. 

 We should spend time meditating on this truth of our faith, and we should try to overcome whatever awkwardness and disbelief we have about it. Truth is, given the way the world is developing today, with so much drifting away if not rebellion against God, we need some divine powers to put ourselves afloat in our true dignity as children of God. 

 To be sure, if we have the right intention to share God’s life, we would always remain humble and ever eager to help others. Otherwise, we would be playing the game of the devil! 

 With humility, we would be able to give our all to God. We can be generous and magnanimous just as God is overwhelmingly generous and magnanimous to all of us. There has to be that mutual dynamic of love and self-giving that has been initiated by God himself. God loves us first, and we have to learn to love him in return, a love that is also expressed in loving everybody just as God loves everybody irrespective of how they are! 

 Let’s not be afraid of the effort and the sacrifices involved in this process. It will all be worthwhile. If we truly try to identify ourselves with Christ, we would be confident that Christ himself would give us the same peace and joy that he had as he went through his own passion and death on the cross to recover our true dignity as children of God.