God - Our Father

Anna is a 4-year old girl. Before she sleeps, she would ask her dad to read her favorite story: Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs. So her dad would read it to her while she sits on his lap until she falls asleep. But after several months, her dad had an idea. He recorded the story on a cd and bought her a new cd player with the instruction to simply “press and play.”

But Anna resisted. She hated the idea.

“Why?” her dad asked. “Because I can no longer sit on your lap” she candidly said.

In today’s Gospel (Lk 11:1-13), we imagine Jesus praying so intently. He seem to be sitting on the “lap” of God His Father. Here we see Jesus as a man of faith; a man of prayer. Indeed, prayer is faith in action. Only a believer can truly pray. One who does not believe – it’s a waste of time.

The example of Jesus pushed the disciples to ask: “Lord, teach us how to pray.”

I would like to focus 3 things on the Prayer Jesus taught:

1.    Our Father:

Jesus reminds us that there is a God! Jesus makes it clear that God exists. For Jesus, God’s presence is a “given” which does not need proof with empirical evidence. He is as real as the sun that shines daily; as real as the air he breathes. He is caught up by the grandeur of God!

Moreover, He is His Father. Jesus calls Him “Abba” – an affectionate Aramaic expression. Among the words Jesus spoke, this one is among his original term. Only Jesus could dare to address God as “Abba” – his unique and tender way of communicating to God. It indicates his extraordinary closeness with God; his child-like recognition of unconditional trust; his willingness to obey and his unlimited surrender to His will.

Jesus tells us also that this God is in heaven. It is not a place but a “state.” God’s transcendental dwelling. In other words – Jesus clarifies that though God is loving and compassionate, He is no ordinary Being. He is up there – superior and separated from us mortals! Yet through Jesus we can also dare to call God – Abba!

 

2.    Holy be Your Name:

The ancient name of God, the 4-letters YHWH is never pronounced aloud by the Jews. In the bible, names are very important. It is not just a convenient label. But a name reveals the character and personality of a person. In the Jewish culture, to know a person’s name means one can have a certain “control” over the individual.

Jesus reveals that God’s name is holiest; most powerful. Thus to be held in utmost reverence. When Jesus teaches us that God’s name is holy, it also means 2 things:

a.     We desire also to be holy like God. We mirror God’s holiness in ourselves. We strive also to be God-like.

b.     Our life’s goal is to give glory to God in all things that we do.

3.    Your Kingdom Come:

The purpose of Jesus’ life is to bring God’s Kingdom here. His aim is remind people of the divine dimension of our life; that we prioritize the values of God and thus make the world “more godly.”

Today the challenge continues. Many times, it is our own kingdom, our own name that we build, not God’s. Pope Francis came out with a new encyclical (letter) for us Catholics entitled : Lumen Fidei which means “The Light of Faith.” Here, he mentions that “idols exists as a pretext for setting ourselves at the center of reality and worshipping the work of our own hands.” The danger is: we set ourselves as our own “idol” – we worship ourselves.

The pope is now in Rio de Janiero, Brazil for the World Youth Day 2013. The message he is telling the 1.5 million youth gathered is this: Help build the Kingdom of God! He said something “revolutionary” to them:

“What is it that I expect as a consequence of World Youth Day? I want a mess. We knew that in Rio there would be great disorder, but I want trouble in the dioceses.. I want to see the Church get closer to the people. I want to get rid of clericalism, the mundane, this closing ourselves off within ourselves in our parishes, schools or structures.. when the Church does not come out of itself to evangelize, it gets sick..”

He challenges the youth “to get the gospel message literally into the streets! He is also sharing this yearning to us – go and build God’s Kingdom!

So we pray: Lord, let it come!

The Better Part

This Sunday’s  Gospel (Lk 10: 38-42) narrates the story of Martha and Mary. The sisters are friends of Jesus. Because of the presence of Jesus, Martha is caught up by the details of hospitality. She manages the kitchen and food preparation. The menu for lunch sets her in panic mode. It might be embarrassing to prepare a lousy meal for the “star” of Jerusalem.

But Mary was at peace. She had fixed her gaze on Jesus since He arrived. Though she was entertaining her very special guest with her presence, it was Jesus who awed her with delightful stories and surprising stuffs. Jesus had such a magnetic personality that she found herself sitting at his feet and listening intently on his words.

It was at this point that Martha complains to Jesus. “Lord, could you please tell my sister to help me, at least, in setting the table for lunch.” I assume she felt peeved. Perhaps in her mind she was saying nasty things at her like “Don’t you have the initiative to help? How insensitive can you be! You’re such a lazy sister!”

To her surprise Jesus simply says: “Martha, Martha.. you are anxious and worried about many things. Only one thing is necessary. You could also come and sit here with Mary!

Martha wanted Jesus to listen to her. She complains. Perhaps she wanted Jesus to appreciate what she’s doing for him. But Jesus teacher her something very important: Martha, learn to prioritize! Above all else, give me importance. Give me your full and undivided attention.

Jesus would like us to focus on 3 Qualities of Mary:

1.    Listening

Our world is so noisy. There is a tendency of people to be afraid of silence. Some drown quiet moments in their lives. God, in fact, has too much competition for our short span of attention. We have so many distractions and there are so many voices we listen to. Because we don’t listen, we lost touch with each other. We don’t understand each other. This misunderstanding results to conflict and quarrels. God reminds us to stop and listen.

2.    Learning

The purpose of listening is to learn. It is important that we learn from God because He is the author of our existence. He is our source. Moreover, our relationship with Him makes our life meaningful. He is our reliable guide in life. Listening, learning and reflecting brings enlightenment to our lives.

A prominent British philosopher, Dr. Anthony Flew considered as the world’s best-known atheist, publicly announced in 2004 his belief in the existence of God. For half a century this professor of England’s University denied God. But what convinced him was the theory of the DNA. His study of man’s DNA made him conclude that it is a product of an infinite Intelligence, a superior Mind. DNA is God’s program for each person.

3.    Loving

In giving her full and undivided attention, Mary was obviously expressing her great love for Jesus. Loving God is the one thing necessary in life! It reminds us of the Gospel last Sunday – love God with your whole heart, mind, will and strength. Pope Benedict XVI, in one of his homilies, said: “without love, even the most important activities lose their value and give no joy. Without profound meaning, all our activities are reduced to sterile and unorganized activism.”

Dare to Care

Aris Canoy Espinosa was a 13 year old boy from Lanao del Norte. He was Grade 6 and was graduating that year. But on January 30, 1994 practically 3 months before graduation, Aris did something other boys could not forget. He did something very significant and memorable that cost him his life.

Around 2pm of January 30, some boys in his school were playing with a hand grenade like a toy. Accidentally it dropped near young elementary children who were playing rubber bands. Aris was quick to size up the situation. He jumped and covered the grenade with his body to protect innocent lives. It exploded and caused his untimely death.

Because of his gallantry, the Boys Scouts of the Philippines awarded him a posthumous recognition. He was given a Gold Medal of Honor. Aris was a “Good Samaritan.”

In this Sunday’s Gospel (Lk 10:25-37), Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan. Among Jesus’ Parables, this one and the Parable of the Prodigal Son are most outstanding. Today, the term “Good Samaritan” has become part of our common metaphor which refers to someone who helps another out of compassion, especially a stranger, with no thought of reward.

The Good Samaritan among us are indicative that there is in each person a basic trait of goodness. People are basically good! There is a part in us nga motabang jud.. maluoy jud! Even going out of our way to reach out to others.

The telling of this story was occasioned by a scholar of the law who asked Jesus: “How can I go to heaven?” Jesus replies – you only need 2 things to go to heaven:

One – love God! But really love God with everything you got – with all your mind, heart, will, strength – all of it! Way tihik-tihik..

Second – love your neighbor

At the end of the parable, Jesus teaches him and us that love is an active word. Love should push us to action even helping those who don’t deserve our help.

Jesus challenges us to dare to care like the sympathetic Samaritan. In the parable, there are 6 compassionate action that he did:

·        He approached the victim

·        He poured oil and wine

·        He bandaged his wounds

·        He lifted him on his donkey

·        He took him to an Inn

·        He cared for him

To CARE for others, therefore, requires 5 things:

1.     Consciousness – being aware and feeling the need

2.     Compassion – love in action / practical love

3.     Contact – getting involved with the lives of others

4.     Courage – not being afraid of taking the risk

5.     Cost – paying the price / inconvenience

Today’s culture encourages us to be cautious, calculating and callous. It forms us to be indifferent and insensitive to the needs to others. But Jesus invites us to dare to care!

Martin Luther King Jr made this reflection based on the Parable of the Good Samaritan. He said that the road from Jerusalem to Jericho was a winding road, conducive for ambush. It was traditionally named “way of blood.” When they saw the victim, the Priest and the Levite asked: “If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?” The robbers might still be around or this man may be just faking to have the chance to ambush and rob him.

But the Samaritan asked a different question: “If I do not help this man, what will happen to him?” He was compassionate, concerned and truly cared.

Martin Luther King Jr. makes a step further. He suggests that let’s not just be Good Samaritan. Let’s work for the betterment and transformation of our society. This means removing the robbers and thieves along the road from Jerusalem to Jericho.

“We are called to play the good Samaritan on life's roadside; but that will be only an initial act. One day we must come to see that the whole Jericho road must be transformed so that men and women will not be constantly beaten and robbed as they make their journey on life's highway. True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar; it is not haphazard and superficial. It comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring.”

Today, we need not just a Good Samaritan who will die for others like Aris Espinosa. What we urgently need are Good Samaritans who will help in cleaning up and transforming our country’s “Jericho Road” from thieves and robbers.

21 Kilometers

        It was my first time to run for 21 kilometers. “Hunat Sugbo,” organized by Parklane Hotel last June 23, drew more than 2,000 runners. Together with some friends, I registered for the event. The last distance run I had was 12 kilometers. It took me an hour and 20 minutes. For this occasion, I outlined a personal training. But I realized it was not enough because it took me 3 hours and 43 minutes. The route led us from Ayala to JY Square, traversing UP to Capitol, then to Fuente Osmena, all the way to Banawa then back to Fuente, Capitol towards the finish line in Ayala.

          I had a smooth run from gun-start until my 12^th kilometer. My legs got tired at the 13^th with every step getting heavier. From then on I had to walk-run-walk at intervals. The pain was not becoming less as I covered a greater distance. The most difficult part of it all was the last 3 kilometer. That stretch from Fuente Osmena to Capitol straight to the final lap was the hardest. I took to walking. Some runners were doing the same. I felt I still have air and energy but my muscle memory was at its limit. But just as I was about to complete my last kilometer in a walking mode, a passer-by walked towards me in a bright red shirt. On it is printed in big, bright letters: never give up! That timely reminder gave me a push to end my run in style.

          Running is a metaphor of our life. We actually run towards the finish line. We need to keep pace and never give up. And as we do, we obey certain given standards. There is no short-cut in a distance run. Your lack of practice will show. When I got to the finish line, a beautiful medal was awarded over my head. It was a souvenir for my sacrifice. But a few were turned down. I was told they failed to complete some stretches and cut corners. In running we don’t create our own maps or draw our own distance. A one kilometer is a thousand meter step. Running then, involves discipline and training. We obey certain natural laws to succeed. Following them guarantees our physical fitness.

          When God created the world, He also included a moral dimension in it. He gave a purpose for everything. He gave a standard for what is good and bad. A thing is good if it attains the purpose for which it was made. My running shoes were good because it brought me to the finish line. I saw someone among the crowd. He was running barefooted because his shoes gave him blisters. It was better for him to run without them. So man was created to run the course of his life and reach heaven. Faith is his guide to go the distance. His reason sets the standard for what is good or bad. Yet our reason has its limits because at times it can be darkened by confusion, passion and doubt.

          One great apostle we celebrate this month is St. Thomas whose feast falls on July 3. In John’s Gospel, he is notorious for being a doubter. Being absent at the first appearance of Jesus, he declared: “unless I put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” Thomas was a realist. He needed to investigate. Curiosity was the stuff God made him to be. Through his skepticism, scientific inquiry about Jesus was born. It was because he “touched” Christ’s wounded hand that made him realize Jesus was indeed real and physical. His doubt confirmed the truth he believed all along that He was the God-made-man who transcended the clutches of death. So he made a most heartfelt confession “my Lord and my God!” The letter to the Hebrews tells us that “without faith it is impossible to please God.” Thomas showed exemplary faith. Moreover, his faith was illumined by reason.

It is a constant struggle for us to reach the finish line. Along the way we are beset by temptations to abandon our goal. The German writer Johann Goethe wrote “there is enough stuff in me to be both a gentleman and a rogue.” We need to train our will to always choose those things that will make us a “gentleman.” While we log on to the gift of faith, that invisible power in our life, which will bring us farther than our own poor efforts can carry.

(This article also appears in the Faith Section of Cebu Daily News, July 07, 2013)