AS we begin a new year, let’s remind ourselves about our need for purification. Let’s not fool ourselves and remain in a state of denial with respect to this need.
Even without doing anything scandalous, just the passage of time and the exposure to the daily usual things would be enough for us to accumulate dirt not so much on the physical side as on the spiritual and moral aspect.
Our heart, the center and engine of our life, cannot help but gather some dust, in amounts big or small, as we go along in life. We need to clean it up, tune it up and hopefully put it in tiptop condition for another year of living and struggling.
We cannot actually be casual about this issue anymore. We are living in very complicated times and environment. Gone now are the pristine air of our grandparents in the provinces. The pollution upon us today is much more harmful, much more treacherous, much more inescapable.
The media, the Internet, the billboards, etc., seem to produce a lot more of moral dirt and smog collateral to their legitimate purposes. We need to study this issue more thoroughly and systematically and act accordingly.
Consider the following observations that indicate the extreme of impurity we in general have fallen into:
- For example, the number of vocations to the priesthood and the religious and consecrated life has plummeted drastically;
- Of those who enter, a high percentage do not persevere. There are a lot of defections;
- And of those who persevere so far, a noticeable number are into some trouble and irregular situations, as in having illegitimate affairs with corresponding problematic fruits as a result.
That’s only speaking of the clerical population. The situation is, of course, far worse in the general populace.
There can be many causes and factors for these phenomena, but one of them that figure prominently is the problem in purity. Many are badly handicapped by it, their situation already so compromised that sorting it out to order or to some acceptable terms would require heroic effort.
At the moment, we can safely presume that an average young guy today has already seen if not participated in far worse sexual experiences compared to his peers in the previous generation. One would be naïve to think otherwise. Even the so-called “good guy” already has quite a load in this department.
Pornography is just a click away in the Internet, and that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Sexual deviancy has become more rampant. The other day, I read that in the States, it’s not only the men who are having affairs. The women are doing it also at a rate that can be considered as widespread and common.
Impurity makes quite a mess in our life. It threatens our spiritual life. It weakens our faith and turns charity into self-indulgence. It dashes simplicity to the ground and spawns deceit and hypocrisy, leading us to lead double lives that can deteriorate into Jekyll-and-Hyde syndrome. It distorts our vision of things.
This is our world today. We cannot stop at lamenting. We have to do the slow and agonizing process of cleaning the environment spiritually and morally, and of helping persons affected one by one. There’s always hope. God is always merciful, and where sin abounds, his grace abounds even more.
For this, we can get some inspiration from the Blessed Virgin. She, who was immaculate from conception to death, submitted herself to purification even if she had to no need for it. She’s more than willing to help us. We all need to go through purification ourselves. Today, this need is urgent.
We have to know how to handle and protect our heart. We have to help one another in finding ways, both practicable and accessible, of filling our heart with true love for God and souls. This love should be immediately felt. It should not remain in the theoretical level.
Personal spiritual direction and confession are a must, but have to be done with utmost respect for personal freedom. Clear doctrine has to be constantly given. Pious acts of prayer, mortification and self-discipline have to be learned and spread.
We need to foster an atmosphere of sincerity and transparency, precisely because these are the first victims of impurity. We have to discover the right mix of things that would make these virtues attractive again and easy and enjoyable to live.
This crusade for purification has to be pursued without stop. Without purity, we cannot go far in life.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Holy Innocents and collateral victims
WE have just celebrated the feast of the Holy Innocents. Those were the male infants, 2 years old and under, ordered eliminated by King Herod in his madness to kill the child Jesus.
In the Gospel narrative, tears flow whenever I read the lines: “A cry was heard at Ramah, sobbing and loud lamentation: Rachel bewailing her children; no comfort for her, since they are no more.” (Lk 2,18)
What instantly came to mind as I went through the celebration was the idea of collateral damage, collateral targets and collateral victims. In this life, we have to be ready to end up like the Holy Innocents, who were the collateral targets and victims together with the child Jesus.
We can suffer and even die anytime because we happen to be beside someone at a certain moment, or we happen to be associated with someone or something, etc. We may not have done anything wrong, and yet we suffer the consequences of what another person has done.
Just think of the 56 Maguindanao massacre victims. Most of them were collateral victims. Just a few were the real targets.
A number of times I had to explain this concept slowly and patiently to people who come with complaints about why they are suffering the consequences of the mistakes or inadequacies of others, like their parents or brothers and sisters, or their friends and colleagues at work, etc.
Of course, we suffer not only because of the mistakes of others, but also because of the good done by others, those good things that have fallen unpopular or hateful in the eyes of many people.
Thus, we can be collateral victims because of both the good and the evil done by others. If we have to convert this into some statistical expression, we can say that the probability of us becoming collateral victims is quite high, and we just have to be ready.
We have to be ready to suffer anytime, to lose all of a sudden our possession, our reputation and, why not, even our life. All these can happen in an instant. You may just be having a good time at home enjoying things with the family, and a stray bullet from nowhere can just hit you and snuff your life off.
So we have to be sporty in this life. Yes, we need to be serious and very responsible, but our human condition is such that in spite of our prayers and efforts, our virtues and best behavior, things can just end up the opposite of what we expected. We have to learn to be open to this possibility.
That’s what being sporty is. We kind of treat our life like a game. We play hard, eager to win, of course. But we can still lose, and if we do, we just have to know to move on. Even if losing means losing our life, it’s not the end of everything, because in fact we have life eternal waiting for us after death.
We can still move on, but we have to move on with grace, not with bitterness and rancor. In fact, we have to learn how to move on with humor that springs from a cheerfulness rooted in our faith and love of God.
St. Thomas More, for example, just before his head was chopped off by the executioner, asked that his beard be moved out of the chopping board, because according to him it had no part of his “crime.”
God is, of course, a judge, but he is a most just judge who knows how to blend justice with charity and mercy. We just have to do our best, with the full force of our mind and heart, of our whole self.
That is what he will look at, and not so much at what we achieved or failed to achieve. He is more interested in our heart than in the products. Is there real faith, hope and love in our heart? That’s what he wants to know more.
Some of us can ask why does God who is supposed to be all-good, all-knowing and all-powerful allow evil to come to us? To that, we can only say that God respects our nature, our freedom, our concrete human condition, but also knows how to derive good from evil.
Even if our capacity to do evil is infinite, his capacity to show mercy is even more infinite. His mercy limits our evil. So we should not worry too much. Rather we have to worry about the real state of our heart.
In the Gospel narrative, tears flow whenever I read the lines: “A cry was heard at Ramah, sobbing and loud lamentation: Rachel bewailing her children; no comfort for her, since they are no more.” (Lk 2,18)
What instantly came to mind as I went through the celebration was the idea of collateral damage, collateral targets and collateral victims. In this life, we have to be ready to end up like the Holy Innocents, who were the collateral targets and victims together with the child Jesus.
We can suffer and even die anytime because we happen to be beside someone at a certain moment, or we happen to be associated with someone or something, etc. We may not have done anything wrong, and yet we suffer the consequences of what another person has done.
Just think of the 56 Maguindanao massacre victims. Most of them were collateral victims. Just a few were the real targets.
A number of times I had to explain this concept slowly and patiently to people who come with complaints about why they are suffering the consequences of the mistakes or inadequacies of others, like their parents or brothers and sisters, or their friends and colleagues at work, etc.
Of course, we suffer not only because of the mistakes of others, but also because of the good done by others, those good things that have fallen unpopular or hateful in the eyes of many people.
Thus, we can be collateral victims because of both the good and the evil done by others. If we have to convert this into some statistical expression, we can say that the probability of us becoming collateral victims is quite high, and we just have to be ready.
We have to be ready to suffer anytime, to lose all of a sudden our possession, our reputation and, why not, even our life. All these can happen in an instant. You may just be having a good time at home enjoying things with the family, and a stray bullet from nowhere can just hit you and snuff your life off.
So we have to be sporty in this life. Yes, we need to be serious and very responsible, but our human condition is such that in spite of our prayers and efforts, our virtues and best behavior, things can just end up the opposite of what we expected. We have to learn to be open to this possibility.
That’s what being sporty is. We kind of treat our life like a game. We play hard, eager to win, of course. But we can still lose, and if we do, we just have to know to move on. Even if losing means losing our life, it’s not the end of everything, because in fact we have life eternal waiting for us after death.
We can still move on, but we have to move on with grace, not with bitterness and rancor. In fact, we have to learn how to move on with humor that springs from a cheerfulness rooted in our faith and love of God.
St. Thomas More, for example, just before his head was chopped off by the executioner, asked that his beard be moved out of the chopping board, because according to him it had no part of his “crime.”
God is, of course, a judge, but he is a most just judge who knows how to blend justice with charity and mercy. We just have to do our best, with the full force of our mind and heart, of our whole self.
That is what he will look at, and not so much at what we achieved or failed to achieve. He is more interested in our heart than in the products. Is there real faith, hope and love in our heart? That’s what he wants to know more.
Some of us can ask why does God who is supposed to be all-good, all-knowing and all-powerful allow evil to come to us? To that, we can only say that God respects our nature, our freedom, our concrete human condition, but also knows how to derive good from evil.
Even if our capacity to do evil is infinite, his capacity to show mercy is even more infinite. His mercy limits our evil. So we should not worry too much. Rather we have to worry about the real state of our heart.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Updating the family
CHRISTMAS time is obviously family time. Let’s thank God that in our country we still see this equation largely lived happily. Let’s pray that in other places, especially in developed countries, the same ideal can also take place. We cannot deny that it is not quite so in many of them, including parts of ours.
We see rising cases of dysfunctional families, with marriages defaced by infidelities and unrefreshed love and a sense of commitment unable to “Reset” when needed, children’s neglect, family life reduced to a minimum, etc.
The family always deserves our utmost attention. We should not be naïve to think that we can take our duties and responsibilities toward it for granted. Especially now, tricky and openly difficult challenges confront it. We have to be aware of them and try to do something about them.
We need to repair the damages, heal the wounds and plot out the paths to make the family healthy, vibrant and capable to do its sacred duty of nurturing persons and citizens.
Let’s remember that we can never outgrow the need for the family, no matter how old, mature and independent we can be. Even those who lead a prominently spiritual and celibate life need it.
It’s a requirement of our nature, given by God and not by some human consensus. The family is a divine creation, before it is a human institution.
With family life given a boost during this Christmas holidays, let’s take the time to see what we can do to reinforce the family, both in general and in individual cases. Let’s not waste the opportunity by spending it solely on having fun. It’s a time for discerning, anticipating, planning things for the family.
May it be that in every level of our life, this concern for the family is taken up seriously. For the Church, for example, there should be abiding diocesan and parochial efforts to help the family in some concrete way, an effort translated into continuing prayers, sacrifices and timely reminders.
For example, the preparation for couples for marriage should be attended to well. Effective programs to nourish couple’s conjugal love should be developed.
Prompters about the evil of contraception, the RH bill, etc. should be frequently made since this now constitutes clear and present danger to marriages.
The government and NGOs should also do the same, trying to figure out the issues families in general are now facing and tackling. There are many of them. It’s good to have a systematic and massive approach to this, monitoring the relevant developments closely and ever presenting solutions.
For one, it pains me to see some workers pressured to do overtime work at the expense of their family life. Stories I hear about inhuman pressures suffered by call center agents are really depressing. The problems involved should be addressed.
Also the environment, especially that part known also as the human ecology, should be continually cleaned and renewed to foster family life among the people. This area is often ignored, its challenges not taken up adequately.
There are situations that undermine the family’s vitality. Pornography, unregulated means of amusement and recreation, etc., are now going viral. People get unduly absorbed by new technologies at the expense of family life.
Obviously, the spouses and the other members of the family should do their part to enrich their family life. Quality time together should be fostered, planned and defended against factors that tend to undermine it. Affection, good manners should be shown in any weather.
Everyone should try his best to be generous in this area, always thinking of details that can brighten the home and warm the relationships among all the family members, heroically fighting against tiredness, attachments, personal preferences, selfishness, etc.
In this regard, the little things of everyday count a lot and are, in fact, the main ingredient to strengthen the bonds of the family. We need to take advantage of these little things in our family life to culture our love for God and for others. There’s actually no other way as basic as this one.
For this purpose, it might be good to realize the need for us to develop a devotion to the Holy Family. Our families should be a reflection, if not a participation in that family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, where everything good for us was lived to the max and continues to be lived.
We should never fail to realize the need to use spiritual and supernatural means, without neglecting the human instruments, to develop our families.
We see rising cases of dysfunctional families, with marriages defaced by infidelities and unrefreshed love and a sense of commitment unable to “Reset” when needed, children’s neglect, family life reduced to a minimum, etc.
The family always deserves our utmost attention. We should not be naïve to think that we can take our duties and responsibilities toward it for granted. Especially now, tricky and openly difficult challenges confront it. We have to be aware of them and try to do something about them.
We need to repair the damages, heal the wounds and plot out the paths to make the family healthy, vibrant and capable to do its sacred duty of nurturing persons and citizens.
Let’s remember that we can never outgrow the need for the family, no matter how old, mature and independent we can be. Even those who lead a prominently spiritual and celibate life need it.
It’s a requirement of our nature, given by God and not by some human consensus. The family is a divine creation, before it is a human institution.
With family life given a boost during this Christmas holidays, let’s take the time to see what we can do to reinforce the family, both in general and in individual cases. Let’s not waste the opportunity by spending it solely on having fun. It’s a time for discerning, anticipating, planning things for the family.
May it be that in every level of our life, this concern for the family is taken up seriously. For the Church, for example, there should be abiding diocesan and parochial efforts to help the family in some concrete way, an effort translated into continuing prayers, sacrifices and timely reminders.
For example, the preparation for couples for marriage should be attended to well. Effective programs to nourish couple’s conjugal love should be developed.
Prompters about the evil of contraception, the RH bill, etc. should be frequently made since this now constitutes clear and present danger to marriages.
The government and NGOs should also do the same, trying to figure out the issues families in general are now facing and tackling. There are many of them. It’s good to have a systematic and massive approach to this, monitoring the relevant developments closely and ever presenting solutions.
For one, it pains me to see some workers pressured to do overtime work at the expense of their family life. Stories I hear about inhuman pressures suffered by call center agents are really depressing. The problems involved should be addressed.
Also the environment, especially that part known also as the human ecology, should be continually cleaned and renewed to foster family life among the people. This area is often ignored, its challenges not taken up adequately.
There are situations that undermine the family’s vitality. Pornography, unregulated means of amusement and recreation, etc., are now going viral. People get unduly absorbed by new technologies at the expense of family life.
Obviously, the spouses and the other members of the family should do their part to enrich their family life. Quality time together should be fostered, planned and defended against factors that tend to undermine it. Affection, good manners should be shown in any weather.
Everyone should try his best to be generous in this area, always thinking of details that can brighten the home and warm the relationships among all the family members, heroically fighting against tiredness, attachments, personal preferences, selfishness, etc.
In this regard, the little things of everyday count a lot and are, in fact, the main ingredient to strengthen the bonds of the family. We need to take advantage of these little things in our family life to culture our love for God and for others. There’s actually no other way as basic as this one.
For this purpose, it might be good to realize the need for us to develop a devotion to the Holy Family. Our families should be a reflection, if not a participation in that family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, where everything good for us was lived to the max and continues to be lived.
We should never fail to realize the need to use spiritual and supernatural means, without neglecting the human instruments, to develop our families.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)