Using Our Talents

A dying husband on his death bed makes a request to his wife: “my dear, when I die and you bury me… please do not put R.I.P. on top of my grave.” Surprised, the wife replies: “why not? What would you want us to put instead?” With a solemn voice the husband suggests: “simply put S.Y.S” “And what would that suppose to mean? she inquires. The husband says: “See You Soon!”

St. Paul in the 2^nd Reading (1 Thes 5:1-6) reminds us that the “day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.” Therefore, we need to be prepared; to be awake and sober.

Our Sunday Readings have two lessons to teach us:

1.    We need to Prepare. Right now, there are three big events I am preparing for: the Christmas Concert on December 9; the Misa de Gallo and the Loudes Fiesta 2018. We are aware that without preparation many things will not be in order and the event will not be meaningful.

How then should we prepare for the most important day of our life? Surely that is the day of our death! It is the day when we shall meet God face to face; the day we encounter Him. Hence we should look our best. Because I believe after death – the best is yet to come.

It may happen that we may deliberately stay away from Him. I saw in facebook a coffin being carried in church by 6 men. Under it was a caption in Bisaya: “Bisag unsaon nimo’g palayo sa Dios ug sa Simbahan, sa katapusan ibalik ra ka gihapon sa Simbahan.” (No matter how you distance from God and the Church, in the end you will still be returned to the Church). Its something to thinks about.

2.    We need to take responsibility. The gospel reminds us that God is the master and the owner of whatever we have. He gives us talents, gifts and abilities for our use. But he expects us to use them responsibly in order to honor and glorify him.

American writer, Mark Twain said: “there are two most important days in our life: the day when we were born, and the day you discovered why.” One afternoon, I was surprise to see a new name for Ganciang Street – Gabriel Elorde Street. I was more surprise to learn that the promulgation from the City Government was still way back 1985.

Who was Gabriel “Flash” Elorde? He is considered the greatest Filipino boxer of all time. In Asia, he is first to be inducted into the prestigious New York Boxing Hall of Fame in 1993. Looking back at his life, he actually discovered boxing by accident because of an ex-boxer friend, Lucio Laborte. After teaching him how to box, he made history by becoming a champion.

But he is a real champion in and outside the ring. In one of his visits to the clinic after being diagnosed with cancer of the lungs, he met a boy with the same sickness. Feeling compassion, he gave his gold necklace crucifix to the hapless lad who was so grateful of him. Writer Ronnie Nathanielz described Gabriel Elorde as “a champion who feared no man, but humble to all men.” He was indeed a giver. He did not just give punches; he also gave away his heart.

Our talents are God-given. Whatever talent we may have – we use it! God does not wants us to bury them under the ground. It is how we honor and give glory to God. Moreover, It will also serve as our entrance ticket for the banquet of life – the banquet of heaven!

Staying Awake

A tour group was visiting the 102 floors of the Empire State Building. On their way up the elevator, a woman asked the tourist guide: “if this elevator breaks down, where do we go? Are we going up or down?” The guide replied with a smile: “that really depends on how you are living!”

Our Sunday Gospel (Mt 25:1-13) is a lesson on readiness. Jesus narrates the parable of the ten bridesmaids: five were wise, the other five were foolish. The wise once had foresight and brought extra oil; the foolish ones did not prepare for the delay. Only the ones with lamps burning entered the wedding banquet.

This parable is a metaphor of our life. Through this story, Jesus wants to teach us two valuable lessons:

1.    Be ready. Be prepared. 
What the gospel really wants to emphasize is our preparation for the future 2^nd Coming of Jesus. The Greeks call it the “Parousia.” If his first coming was humble and small, the 2^nd coming will be mighty and loud! He will come as king. He will arrive as the final Judge of everyone and everything. He will show his power and glory. The other more immediate preparation is the hour of our death. Thankfully we do not know when will be our end. If we did, it would have been scary. It would absolutely take away our peace.

          I was able to assist a parishioner in his last moments. After suffering a mild stroke, his last request to his family was not to be revived. When asked for the reason, he explained that for him “it was mission accomplished.” He had brought up his children well; he had served the parish; he had done what was needed to do. Moreover, he declared: “I want to see the God whom I have served!” Indeed, it is an inspiring disposition of readiness.

2.    Be wise. Jesus commends that we need “to keep our lamps burning.”

In our journey in life we will need spiritual fuel to keep on moving forward. Without this oil, we cannot persevere. Hence we need four essential elements to keep us always aflame. We need B.E.E.R. in our life.

        Bible: we need to read scriptures to know God’s will. Scriptures will give direction to our life. Jesus himself said: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.”

      Eucharist: we need the sacraments to keep us always spiritually healthy. These are the ordinary means that Jesus provides to nourish our life in the spirit. Through confession, God forgives us and continually gives us hope of a new beginning; the eucharist is food for our earthly pilgrimage.

         Examples: it is not enough just to know God’s will. We also need to act on them. We should be doers of God’s Word. Aided by grace, we need to perform acts of goodness and mercy done with the right intention of giving glory to God; not just for show. Through our examples, we can create ripples of influence that can make a difference in others’ lives.

     Rosary: in other words, we need prayer. Prayer is our personal relationship with God. Through our devotion to our Blessed Mother and our closeness to the saints will remind us that we are not alone in this journey of life. Our prayer provides us of our necessary connection that gives us power in our daily battle.

          Going back to the question: “are we going up or down?” Jesus, the guide of our life’s journey, will respond: that really depends on how you are living! Be ready. Be wise and add BEER in your life!

Saints We Are

When we talk about “saints,” we immediately think of the “canonized ones” – those proclaimed by the Church as blessed because they have lived extraordinary lives beyond that of an average Christian. Here we note that the Church does not make or create saints, but rather recognizes their virtues and present them to the faithful as role models in the practice of the faith.

The first saint I have known is San Antonio of Padua. My mom entrusted me to his care in my childhood. She even added it as my baptismal name. He was known for his persuasive preaching and impressive miracles borne out of his deep faith in God. The saint who inspired me most is St. John Bosco. Having read his life as a boy, his personality captivated me because he was such a talented individual both in nature and in grace. But my favorite saint is John Paul II because he inspired me to be a priest. Most of all, he is the only saint I have seen in my life.

Many times the saints are projected as bigger than life. We think of them as extra-terrestrial beings who lived perfect and pure lives having no struggles and concupiscence. They seem to be so high on their pedestals that they are beyond the reach of ordinary mortals. Moreover, we focus on their miracles and their phenomenal deeds that make them super human beings. They become like “superheroes” whose lives we love to tell but whose lives we simply cannot imitate.

In reality, they were men and women like us who experienced doubts, fears, worries, joy and hope. They cried and felt hurt. They also had to make difficult decisions in life. They were men and women of their times who were affected by the conditions of their surroundings. What made them extraordinary is that they never allowed their darkness to control them. They cooperated in the grace of God to transform them into vessels of light.

In a broad sense, saints are those who follow Jesus and live their lives according to his teachings. In fact, St. Paul in writing to the different Christian communities of his time, he called them “saints.” Indeed, all of us baptized into Christ are potential saints. We have the capacity because we are children of God as well as the means through the sacraments that give us spiritual strength. In the strict sense, real saints are the men and women who have persevered in their earthly pilgrimage. They have reached the finish line and are now receiving the glorious crown of eternal life.

The lives of the saints continue to challenge us. Even today, there are practical ways that the saints are inviting us to do. Every saint prayed well. They endeavored to have a close relationship with God. They believed that man does not live by bread alone but also needs God’s guidance and direction through His Word. While they kept their feet were firmly rooted on the ground, their eyes were fixed on the spiritual home beyond the stars.

Every saint worked well. First of all, they challenged themselves to overcome their laziness and mediocrity. They responded to the deep yearning in their hearts to seek for real happiness which only God can give. Motivated by the spirit of self denial, they made a commitment to follow Jesus and take up their cross daily. They tried to put into practice the lifestyle and attitude of Christ.

Every saint lived well. Love is the most essential quality of a saint. Every saint is a great lover of God and neighbor. They show their love and compassion even to the point of sacrifice because saints are convinced that there can be no love without sacrifice. Even Jesus declared that “there is no greater love than one who lays down his life for his friends.” Saints live the beatitudes practicing meekness and mercy,

The Irish poet and playwright, Oscar Wilde once wrote: “every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future.” Saints are never perfect people. Its inspiring to realize that we all have the potentials to be numbered among them. Every day I encounter simple and ordinary people who work well, pray well and live well. I feel God’s grace working quietly in the world despite its confusion and turmoil. Mysteriously, God inspires every willing heart to strive to a life of godliness.

This article appeared in my Sunday Column “Sharing the Word” at Cebu Daily News on November 05, 2017.