FACE OF HOPE

 After Jesus and his disciples went out of the boat, the people immediately recognize him and they came to him as if he was a super hero who once save them. Going back to the previous events that had transpired in the past, Jesus was able to   heal the sick, exorcise the possessed and raised the deed.  These previous events caused an exponential growth in the believers and followers of Christ. Why? Because his face brings hope to those people that he once saved from their infirmities. A successful alumni would be given a hero’s welcome upon his return to his alma mater because he made them proud or a valiant warrior would be awarded medals of honors after emerging victorious in war. In the gospel, what the crowd made to Jesus is more than a hero’s welcome. His (Jesus) achievement is more than that of an alumni getting a high degree or a military man valiantly fighting at the expense of his life.  I believe that recognizing one’s worth is not measured  on how many decorated medals can you give or how  illustrious  welcome can you throw but on the simplest form of recognizing one’s previous act of smallest form of kindness.

 
When we are at the sunset of our lives definitely, people will not judge us how rich, famous or how influential we had become. Instead, they are going to treat us base on the things we have done to them. It is a part and parcel of reality that there could be only two things that retained in the minds of people that we encounter, it’s either our face has brought them hope or it brought them misery.   One of the unique characteristic of Jesus is he addresses first the physical needs of the people before he address the spiritual ones. Sometimes it’s a natural tendency for us to help other but do we really address what they are most in need of? The people in the gospel, recognize   Jesus immediately because they know that He alone can address their needs. No higher form of tribute we can give to those people who once serves as “a face of hope” in our life aside from recognizing their true worth. A worth that is not based on power, richness and influence. Every time we go out on the “boat of our lives”, let us always try be a “face of hope” on the least, last , and lost . “I shall pass this way but once; any good that I can do or any kindness I can show to any human being; let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.” -  Etienne de Grellet     

COURAGE

There is an adage that goes like this “Gold is tested in Fire”. In the Gospel, Herod’s goldness of manhood was again tested when he uttered a sworn public promised to Herodias.  Due to his false pride, he still let his executioner killed John the Baptist in order to maintain his name among the high-ranking officials of the kingdom. Sometimes in our life, these “moments of fire”, like the one that Herod encountered is inevitable. We came to a point that we swore a promised to someone in public because we tried to please someone or some people who have done a favorable activity to us. At times, people became like Herod who was controlled by his impulse.  “Being a man”, in the real sense doesn’t mean that showing to people how influential we are or how powerful we can become. For me, the real measure of manliness is when one to know how to set a judgment on dilemmas that require justice and righteousness. Herod’s lack of prudence serves as his own trap to further prove to other people that indeed, his kingly power is only controlled by the on-going concubine that he is doing.

This implies that people at times let themselves be “man” enough to prove their real worth. Reading this story again would remind me of my former colleague who was victimized by his immediate superior when the latter evaluated the former.  Since the immediate superior cannot help but to please his higher boss and fellow comrades, he ends up executing a decision at the expense of others professional career.  I thought that this friend of mine would hold a grudge on his  former immediate superior but it ends up that he acted not  like Herodias, instead he forgive that boss and still manage to invite him to his wedding.Herodias’ actions represents people who will use their connections just to have a revenge on their enemies. Since John The Baptist’s preaching is already hitting the scandalous affairs of Herod and Herodias, the latter would resolve to desperate means in order to continue their affairs. In the gospel, John The Baptist exemplified the true measurement of valor and courage. Why? Because he still continued to preach to Herod and Herodias that they need to stop their scandalous affairs despite the fact that he is aware of the danger to his life.  St Dominic once said  “ A man who is in control of his emotion  is a master of his world”….

 

 

 

FORGIVENESS

Naalala ko ang kwento ng isang binata sa isang recollection sa isang paaralan. Isang hindi malilimu­tang pangyayari ang naganap sa buhay niya kung saan umibig siya sa isang dalagitang napalapit ang loob sa kan­ya. Lingid sa kaalaman niya ay ayaw siya ng magulang ng dalagita kung kaya ginawa nila lahat ng maaari para mapalayo ang anak nila sa binata. Hu­mantong sa punto na halos masira ang tiwala ng binata sa mga magulang ng dalagita lalong-lalo na nung ginawan siya ng tsismis ng mga magulang nito sa kanilang lugar. Isang mahirap na pagsubok sa binata ang nangyaring iyon dahil na rin sa tiwalang ibinigay niya sa magulang na kung saan huwad na mabuting kalooban ang ipinamalas nila sa binata kapag kaharap nila ito.  

Ang paghihiganti ay hindi maiiwasan kung kaya mababasa na­tin sa tala ni Mateo ang turo ni Hesus tungkol sa pahihiganti sa kapwa lalong lalo na kung ang kapwang ito ay nak­agawa ng hindi mabuti sa atin. Hindi madaling gumawa ng mabuti lalo na sa mga taong ginagawa ang mga bagay na nagpapakulo ng dugo mo. Ito ay isang katapangan na hindi basta-basta maha­hanap. Ito ay katapangan na nagmumu­la sa paggawa ng tama at nararapat sa isang sitwasyon na walang pagkiling. Ang turong ito ni Kristo ay hawak niya lalong-lalo na nung napako siya sa Krus. 

  

Sa pagpapatuloy natin sa kwento ng binata, napag-alaman ko na kahit may poot syang nararamdaman sa magulang ng dalagita, hindi niya maiwasang patawarin ang mga ito da­hil sa pagmamahal niya sa anak nila. Lumayo na rin ang binata sa babae at sa pamilya nito pero kinalimutan niya ang galit nito sa magulang ng dalagita. Sa pagmamahal niya sa dalagitang ito

PROMISE!

We often hear people say, “Promises are meant to be broken.” But promises are made to be fulfilled. Today, we are reminded of that because the gospel for this very day talks about the fulfilment of the law, the law that God gave to man – the commandments. 

Jesus said that He came to this world to fulfill the promises that His Fa­ther promised and He did. God fulfilled what he promised to us, He is very true to His words. Are we in the same way true to our words? God promised that we will be saved and so we are saved. In our case, we promised God that we will follow His commandments. God only ask for ten things from us, and yet we cannot do them. We break promises. 

Now it is our turn to return what God did to us. We have to be true to ourselves and our words. We have to fulfill what we promised from the very first place, to obey the com­mandments of God. Do this for God, and for us, human kind, to be re­deemed from the mistakes we make. Start following what is meant to be.