Continuous adaptation without getting lost

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Always mindful of God’s primal will for us

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Why we can afford to be always confident

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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