WITH our country´s social and political environment increasingly affected by developments in the West where the contraceptive mentality, abortion, divorce, etc., are enshrined in their laws, we too are now experiencing a growing tension as these issues are invading our shores and are certainly sparking controversy.
We are still in the middle of a heated RH debate, and now the issue of divorce is rearing its ugly head. Proponents of it proudly banner themselves as the harbinger of enlightenment to people long subjected to the bondage of Church teaching. Hmmmm. What a provocation!
Of course, when an average priest hears claims like that, the reflex action is likely to defend the Church if not gird for an attack. I must say, this happened with me many times. I grew up in a family environment where we were encouraged always to defend and argue our positions, even up to its bloody end. I admit I enjoyed it too.
Only after sometime did I realize that the appropriate paradigm to follow is the behavior of Christ himself. While he also was strong in disciplining his disciples and even scolding the unbelievers, in the end he just went about proclaiming the gospel truth about God and us, allowed himself to be insulted, inflicted pain, and then crucified for this doctrine.
There´s wisdom in that kind of behavior. I´m only realizing it lately that due to our human condition so vulnerable to a lot of weaknesses which we consider to be our strength, the most appropriate way to win others is to be humble and meek. The attitude to take is not to score points, but to save souls. It´s not to win an argument, it´s to spread charity.
As the Acts of the Apostles describes it, ¨He was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and like a lamb without voice before his shearer, he opened not his mouth.¨ (8,32) And that attitude and behavior resulted in our redemption and Christian perfection!
This realization came to me clearly only after some verbal—mostly written, not oral—tussles I had with those who differ from my views, especially on the RH issue. I noticed that when I answered a tit to their every tat, we generated more heat.
But when I changed tactic and responded even to the sharpest, most impertinent comment with at least some nice words, the tenor of the discourse changed. It became less confrontational, and more conciliatory. And exchanges assumed more substance and direction.
We cannot deny the fact that all of us have our baggage of biases and prejudices, and can be afflicted with the usual weaknesses—pride, vanity, envy, cynicism, the tendency to dominate others, to be regarded well always of others, etc.
I think we need to be aware of these elements that often spoil our conversations and dialogues, and strive to be humble, to empty oneself just like what our Lord did to become like us—he emptied himself of his God-ness. We have to empty ourselves to receive more the grace of God.
That is why St. Paul said: ¨Let nothing be done through contention, neither by vainglory. But in humility, let each esteem others better than themselves.¨ (Phil 2,3) We need to spread these words more widely. Many are still ignorant of the wisdom embedded in them.
Humility always favors dialogue. It allows the discourse to develop properly and to go to areas and branches that are pertinent to the issue at hand. It fosters objectivity and purifies the motives of people. It knows how to keep on track, avoiding getting off-course. It also has a good sense of timing, knowing when to talk and when to keep quiet and wait.
It leads us to pursue our dialogue in accordance to the prudence of the spirit and not to the prudence of the flesh or of the world. It fosters greater sensitivity to the positions and situations of others.
It makes us a ¨spiritual man¨ as opposed to a ¨carnal man¨ that St. Paul talked about. The ¨spiritual man¨ can understand and bear the ¨carnal man,¨ but not vice versa. So, humility teaches us to be patient, willing to suffer certain inconveniences if only to reach the desired end. It reinforces our sense of security and confidence.
The spiritual qualities of the wisdom that flows from a humility-inspired discourse have the following qualities as St. James mentioned in his letter: ¨it is chaste, then peaceable, modest, easy to be persuaded, consenting to the good, full of mercy and good fruits, without judging, without dissimulation.¨ (3,17)
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Man-made Christianity
THIS is not going to be easy to explain. First of all, because religion, while it concerns God, also has us, the ever fickle-minded man, as its integral element, since religion is about us and our relation with God.
So, while man is basically a religious being, always looking and yearning for God, there´s always that possibility, for a number of reasons and factors, of us making our own God, and failing to hit it off with the real One.
This has happened in abundance in the history of man. There were people who worshipped the sun as their God. Others the moon, or the wind. Still others carved some idols as their deity.
We are a religious being. Our Catechism says so. ¨The desire for God is written in the human heart, because man is created by God and for God; and God never ceases to draw man to himself.¨ (27)
Even those who profess themselves to be atheists (non-believers) and agnostics (doubters) cannot avoid having some aspects of religion, because if it is not a spiritual, supernatural God they believe in, they must believe in something else—their own reason and ideas, for example, or simply their own selves.
This challenge of how to put our religion on its proper course has been hounding us since time immemorial. And though the problem is huge, and the efforts to resolve it through the centuries have been hard and tumultuous, we just have to have faith and hope that we can resolve it.
The basis for that faith and hope is actually with us and all around us. No matter how imperfect our efforts may be, we cannot deny the fact that there must be a God—if not something or someone outside us, then one inside us.
I don´t know much about other religions, but Christianity is about a God who reveals himself to us, who comes to us, who makes himself like us, and leaves us with instrumentalities that continue his presence and redemptive or perfective work on us up to now till the end of time. The initiative comes from him, before we are asked to correspond.
Obviously, all religions must contain elements of truth and goodness, since any effort to deal with a God, even in the atheistic or agnostic context, cannot help but possess some of these elements of truth and goodness. Nothing can stand or even exist if no element of truth and goodness is present.
We just have to embark on a lifetime task of determining the true religion, the one initiated by God, and not any that we start or invent. For this, we need to be humble and empty ourselves, like what Christ did to become like us, so that we can be filled with God´s grace, with God himself, and from there start our relation with him.
Our big problem now is that we seem to be making our own religion. We may start with corresponding to God´s initiative, but somewhere along the way, we break off from him and go on our own.
Even among Christians and Catholics, this problem is very real. Just lately, with all this RH debate, I realize more sharply that there are Catholics who think religion is simply a matter of one´s conscience, with hardly any relation to duties to Church, to abide to a certain doctrine of faith, to resort to the sacraments, etc.
In fact, there were a lot of anti-Church and anti-religion sentiments. It seems these have been festering in the minds and hearts of many people for ages. These biases proliferated in the RH debates in different forums, often with venom vomitted out quite freely, and claws, fangs and hackles menacingly shown.
Many, even among the educated and professional classes, could not understand why the Church has to be heard about the morality of the RH issue. What role does it play in this issue, they ask. Why not simply what comes to one´s conscience or at least what is agreed upon by the consensus of the majority?
Some traces of Christianity can still be detected in many of the views expressed, but a Christianity very badly understood and digested, much less, lived. Many still claim they are Christians or at least adhere to some religion, but it is quite clear that it is more a man-made religion, a man-made Christianity that is referred to.
This is, of course, a big challenge for the Church which will not run away from it. But it will have to retool itself significantly.
So, while man is basically a religious being, always looking and yearning for God, there´s always that possibility, for a number of reasons and factors, of us making our own God, and failing to hit it off with the real One.
This has happened in abundance in the history of man. There were people who worshipped the sun as their God. Others the moon, or the wind. Still others carved some idols as their deity.
We are a religious being. Our Catechism says so. ¨The desire for God is written in the human heart, because man is created by God and for God; and God never ceases to draw man to himself.¨ (27)
Even those who profess themselves to be atheists (non-believers) and agnostics (doubters) cannot avoid having some aspects of religion, because if it is not a spiritual, supernatural God they believe in, they must believe in something else—their own reason and ideas, for example, or simply their own selves.
This challenge of how to put our religion on its proper course has been hounding us since time immemorial. And though the problem is huge, and the efforts to resolve it through the centuries have been hard and tumultuous, we just have to have faith and hope that we can resolve it.
The basis for that faith and hope is actually with us and all around us. No matter how imperfect our efforts may be, we cannot deny the fact that there must be a God—if not something or someone outside us, then one inside us.
I don´t know much about other religions, but Christianity is about a God who reveals himself to us, who comes to us, who makes himself like us, and leaves us with instrumentalities that continue his presence and redemptive or perfective work on us up to now till the end of time. The initiative comes from him, before we are asked to correspond.
Obviously, all religions must contain elements of truth and goodness, since any effort to deal with a God, even in the atheistic or agnostic context, cannot help but possess some of these elements of truth and goodness. Nothing can stand or even exist if no element of truth and goodness is present.
We just have to embark on a lifetime task of determining the true religion, the one initiated by God, and not any that we start or invent. For this, we need to be humble and empty ourselves, like what Christ did to become like us, so that we can be filled with God´s grace, with God himself, and from there start our relation with him.
Our big problem now is that we seem to be making our own religion. We may start with corresponding to God´s initiative, but somewhere along the way, we break off from him and go on our own.
Even among Christians and Catholics, this problem is very real. Just lately, with all this RH debate, I realize more sharply that there are Catholics who think religion is simply a matter of one´s conscience, with hardly any relation to duties to Church, to abide to a certain doctrine of faith, to resort to the sacraments, etc.
In fact, there were a lot of anti-Church and anti-religion sentiments. It seems these have been festering in the minds and hearts of many people for ages. These biases proliferated in the RH debates in different forums, often with venom vomitted out quite freely, and claws, fangs and hackles menacingly shown.
Many, even among the educated and professional classes, could not understand why the Church has to be heard about the morality of the RH issue. What role does it play in this issue, they ask. Why not simply what comes to one´s conscience or at least what is agreed upon by the consensus of the majority?
Some traces of Christianity can still be detected in many of the views expressed, but a Christianity very badly understood and digested, much less, lived. Many still claim they are Christians or at least adhere to some religion, but it is quite clear that it is more a man-made religion, a man-made Christianity that is referred to.
This is, of course, a big challenge for the Church which will not run away from it. But it will have to retool itself significantly.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
The world of public opinion
IF the Church really has to tackle the challenges of today more effectively, I think it has to be more active in the world of public opinion. That´s where a lot of action is taking place these days, action that both reflects the flowing signs of the times and helps to shape them.
Without leaving behind or neglecting, but rather enhancing and purifying the traditional means, the Church has to go beyond preaching to the choir. She has to step into the more tricky and challenging waters of the secular world. I think this is what Pope Benedict has been saying when talking about communications.
True, we should not leave the pulpits, but neither should we get stuck there. We have to go to the modern Areopagi that are now the media, the Internet, the blogosphere, social networks, etc.
It´s important that as we tighten always to our faith, we also know how to loosen ourselves and flow with the times. We need to proclaim, explain and defend the faith there.
My opinion is that we, priests, for example, should try to meet all kinds of people where they are—in the immense variety of human conditions—and try to bring them where they should be. But they have to be met first where they are. And that can mean to get ¨dirty¨ with them.
Of course, we have to clarify that when we say Church involvement in public opinion, it does not only mean the priests and bishops. In fact, they should play a more subsidiary role. The more prominent role should fall on the laity who should be more active here. They have to act not as longa manus of the clergy, but as citizens consistent to their faith.
My experiences in school where I work and my exposure to the businesses of friends and relatives tell me how important it is to monitor developments continually and act promptly when prudence dictates some intervention is needed. Our fervent prayers and good intentions would not be enough if action is not taken.
For example, though I have not been involved in business since I became a priest 20 years ago, I somehow get to know the pulse of the market because my sister, who owns a chain of department and grocery stores, frequently informs me about her business developments.
I suspect she does it to fish out some ideas from me, since I had business experience before priesthood. Her info enriches me, since it expands my world, forcing me to go beyond my preferences, learn new things and enter somehow into the minds and hearts of people. Market trends reflect people´s state of mind, among other things.
The world of public opinion nowadays precisely needs the presence of the Church, the indispensable contribution of faith and religion, since at the moment it is becoming a metastasizing blob of views and positions that confuse people more than enlighten them.
The topics and issues discussed there are not anymore merely economic, social or political, but do have eminently spiritual and moral implications. There´s a lot of ignorance, confusion, outright error and, yes, malice, insofar as the spiritual and moral dimensions are concerned.
In the current RH debate, for example, I realize how deep and extensive are the anti-Church and anti-religion sentiments of many people, including those who were educated by our so-called Catholic schools. It makes me wonder what these schools have been doing for years.
And we can expect more biases of this type, since we now hear not only RH, but also divorce being floated as another issue. We have reason to suspect then that more issues of this kind will come—same-sex marriage, abortion, euthanasia, etc. That seems to be trend in the world today. So we have to brace ourselves for them.
Of course, we have to reinforce the traditional means—basic catechism in parishes, schools and families. Catholic schools should see to it that they teach integral Christianity, one that is whole and organic, alive, and not a dysfunctional Christianity, more dead than alive.
At the moment, we see a Christianity that does not know how to connect conscience with Church magisterium, spiritual life with prayer and sacrifice and recourse to sacraments and ongoing formations, etc.
We have to see to it that appropriate structures, both hardware and software, are put up. We have to review the programs used in the radio stations, TV channels, newspapers. We have to train the right personnel, and inspire many to enter into the new technologies.
Without leaving behind or neglecting, but rather enhancing and purifying the traditional means, the Church has to go beyond preaching to the choir. She has to step into the more tricky and challenging waters of the secular world. I think this is what Pope Benedict has been saying when talking about communications.
True, we should not leave the pulpits, but neither should we get stuck there. We have to go to the modern Areopagi that are now the media, the Internet, the blogosphere, social networks, etc.
It´s important that as we tighten always to our faith, we also know how to loosen ourselves and flow with the times. We need to proclaim, explain and defend the faith there.
My opinion is that we, priests, for example, should try to meet all kinds of people where they are—in the immense variety of human conditions—and try to bring them where they should be. But they have to be met first where they are. And that can mean to get ¨dirty¨ with them.
Of course, we have to clarify that when we say Church involvement in public opinion, it does not only mean the priests and bishops. In fact, they should play a more subsidiary role. The more prominent role should fall on the laity who should be more active here. They have to act not as longa manus of the clergy, but as citizens consistent to their faith.
My experiences in school where I work and my exposure to the businesses of friends and relatives tell me how important it is to monitor developments continually and act promptly when prudence dictates some intervention is needed. Our fervent prayers and good intentions would not be enough if action is not taken.
For example, though I have not been involved in business since I became a priest 20 years ago, I somehow get to know the pulse of the market because my sister, who owns a chain of department and grocery stores, frequently informs me about her business developments.
I suspect she does it to fish out some ideas from me, since I had business experience before priesthood. Her info enriches me, since it expands my world, forcing me to go beyond my preferences, learn new things and enter somehow into the minds and hearts of people. Market trends reflect people´s state of mind, among other things.
The world of public opinion nowadays precisely needs the presence of the Church, the indispensable contribution of faith and religion, since at the moment it is becoming a metastasizing blob of views and positions that confuse people more than enlighten them.
The topics and issues discussed there are not anymore merely economic, social or political, but do have eminently spiritual and moral implications. There´s a lot of ignorance, confusion, outright error and, yes, malice, insofar as the spiritual and moral dimensions are concerned.
In the current RH debate, for example, I realize how deep and extensive are the anti-Church and anti-religion sentiments of many people, including those who were educated by our so-called Catholic schools. It makes me wonder what these schools have been doing for years.
And we can expect more biases of this type, since we now hear not only RH, but also divorce being floated as another issue. We have reason to suspect then that more issues of this kind will come—same-sex marriage, abortion, euthanasia, etc. That seems to be trend in the world today. So we have to brace ourselves for them.
Of course, we have to reinforce the traditional means—basic catechism in parishes, schools and families. Catholic schools should see to it that they teach integral Christianity, one that is whole and organic, alive, and not a dysfunctional Christianity, more dead than alive.
At the moment, we see a Christianity that does not know how to connect conscience with Church magisterium, spiritual life with prayer and sacrifice and recourse to sacraments and ongoing formations, etc.
We have to see to it that appropriate structures, both hardware and software, are put up. We have to review the programs used in the radio stations, TV channels, newspapers. We have to train the right personnel, and inspire many to enter into the new technologies.
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