Being Magnanimous

Aron Ralston is an American Engineer. In 2003, he went on a solo canyoneering trip. While he was descending, he dislodged a suspended boulder 800 pounds pinning his right wrist to the side of the canyon wall. He had not informed anyone of his hiking plans and he had no way to call for help.

For five days, he repeatedly tried to extricate himself but his efforts were futile. He was almost dehydrated. So he decided to amputate his forearm using a dull pocketknife to break free. It took one hour. Then he climbed out of the canyon; rappelled down a 65-foot wall and hiked 11 kilometers until hikers found him. They gave him food, water and alerted the authorities about the accident.

Had he not amputated his right arm, he would have bled to death. He made a choice to sacrifice his arm to survive and save his life.

In today’s gospel (Mk 9:38-48), Jesus gives a strong warning against jealousy, intolerance and giving scandal to the young. He emphasized the need for sacrifice for a greater good. If your hand or leg cause you to sin, cut if off.

This expression is not to be taken literally. Jesus uses a hyperbolic expression to make a special point: the need for detachment and disconnection. St. Paul uses the term “circumcision of the heart.” It is not physical but interior, inward operation requiring cutting off, dissecting or amputating bad habits or sinful ways to be a better disciple.

Our readings can teach us 3 Lessons:

1.     Encouragement. We are invited to encourage others, not to get envious or jealous of them. We are to pull others up; not put them down. Our first reading and our gospel cautions us against this attitude of having crab mentality. Jesus is clear “whoever is not against us is for us.”

2.     Enthusiasm. We need to put joy and enthusiasm in whatever we do whether it is our job, our daily duties, prayer or service. Sometimes we become fault-finders, grumblers, complainers or killjoy. But we can choose to be enthusiastic and excited; passionate and afire in what we do. Our passion pushes us through difficulties and failures. It gives us the capability not to give up. Moreover, it gives us faith that the little we do matter even just giving a drink or giving a smile to someone.

3.     Example. We are to give good examples not scandalize the little ones. In Brazil, here is a 34-year-old young man, Guido Schaffer, whom they are considering to be a saint. He is a medical doctor, a surfer and a seminarian. He died surfing in 2009 in Rio de Janiero. Yet he is a man of faith, passionate for God’s Word and sensitive to the poor. One of his friends said of him: “you can be young, like the beach, surf, sing; at the same time have your heart set on God, being a witness to him in front of people, being an example of Christian life.

Today, Jesus invites us to be magnanimous; to be big and kind-hearted. He invites us to encourage others; be moral boosters; pull up people, not put them down. He wants us to be enthusiastic and passionate in whatever we do. Give good examples to others. Let us be like candles. We give light.

FAITH CHALLENGE Feast of St. Matthew – Apostle & Evangelist (Mt 9:9-13)

Thomas Edison is considered America’s greatest inventor. He has a world-record of 1,093 inventions like the light bulb, electric power, phonograph or motion picture camera. Yet as a boy he developed a hearing problem. His teachers thought he was dumb.

One day, his mother received a letter from the school’s Principal. She had tears in her eyes as she was reading it: “Your son is a genius. This school is too small for him. We don’t have good teachers to train him. Please teach him yourself.”

Years later his mom died; Thomas had become a world-famous inventor. As he was going through old family stuffs, he discovered the letter he brought home from the Principal. He was shocked to read the original content: Your son is a dumb student. We won’t let him come to school anymore.”

He cried for hours. In his diary that day he wrote.. “Thomas Alva Edison was a dumb child, but through a hero mother, became the genius of the century.”

His mother instilled in him a genius-mindset that propelled him to excel, to succeed and to rise above the rest. His mom had faith in him and his gifts. She saw the light within him and brought it out for the benefit of the world and humanity.

Today is the feast of St. Matthew. The gospel narrates the story of his calling. Let us learn 3 things from him: 3 C’s

1.     Christ. Matthew was an ordinary tax collector; hated because he was a sinner. One day, Jesus got interested in him. He invited him – follow me! Amazingly, he was touched by grace. Matthew had a great love for his job because he made a lot of money. That day, God gave him the grace to love Jesus more. From then on, he became a Christ-centered person. His faith in Christ gave him a new mindset; a new pair of eyes; a new vision capable to see more, to see beyond. Pope Francis said: “Put on faith. Life will have a new flavor.” It will make you see things differently; deeply. Like a compass, it will give your life direction. Faith will instill in us a mindset of greatness. We are meant for higher things; we are meant for heaven.

2.     Constancy. Matthew chose to make Christ a constant in his life. He made it a daily habit to follow him; to listen to him. Christ became part of his lifestyle. He learned to be patient like Jesus; to love and serve others like Jesus; to be generous like Jesus. In fact, it was because of Jesus that he gave his money to the poor. Christ transformed him day by day.

3.     Concern. After Jesus death and resurrection, he became a missionary. His greatest concern was for the children, the youth and the future generation. He felt that they will no longer have the opportunity to meet Jesus; it will make them poorer by missing out Christ. Thus he wrote a gospel for them to read and have a virtual encounter with Christ. Because Christ will enrich their lives bringing them joy and peace.

WAY OF CHRIST 25th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Mk 9:30 -37)

Braveheart is an epic historical battle film directed by Mel Gibson about William Wallace. Wallace is a 13^th century Scottish warrior. He led the Scots in their First War of Independence against King Edward of England. His rebellion begins when is childhood friend and later wife, Murron, is publicly executed. He keeps the memory of his wife alive by keeping her handkerchief she gave him on their marriage night.

Throughout the movie this handkerchief becomes a symbol. It reminds him of his love, his pain and what he is fighting for. In the end, his death makes him a great hero because he never lost his purpose.

Any journey, adventure or mission must have a reason that keeps you going. For Jesus, his journey to the cross, his passion was motivated by love. His obedience to His Father.

In today’s gospel (Mk 9:30-37), Jesus teaches his disciples by revealing to them his identity. Yes, he is the Messiah. But he is a messiah that must suffer and die! Regrettably, they did not understand. They were not on the same page with Jesus. They even argued and rivaled among each other who was the greatest. Each was trying to get to the top.

Jesus continues to invite us to follow Him on his way to the cross. There are 3 Discipleship Qualities he wants us to learn: 3 H’s

1.     Heart. We need a brave heart; a courageous heart. A heart that loves Jesus totally; ready for any suffering or sacrifice. On Sept 21 this week is the feast of St. Matthew. He had a great love for his job as a tax collector because he made a lot of money. But one day, he was touched by grace. Jesus called him – follow me! He left everything. God gave him the grace to love Jesus more. Let us also ask for this grace.

2.     Humility. Let us learn to be humble like Jesus. To teach his disciples the art of humility, he showed them a little child. When we welcome a child, it is not dependent on his title, his wealth or power. The child does not have these things. We welcome a child simply because he is loveable; his simplicity and goodness. Moreover, Jesus greatest lesson is his cross. Here is a God who humbles himself out of love. The cross is the icon of greatness; the icon of selfless love.

3.     Habit. Jesus invites us to be persistent. Following him ought to become a lifestyle. It requires daily acts of love and humility. Greatness is the result of a persevering habit of serving like Jesus; generosity like Christ. It becomes a gradual transformation of ourselves: our heart, our head and our hands to be more and more like Christ. We grow in him. Somebody said: it is not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives; its what we do consistently.

POWER OF THE CROSS 24th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Mk 8:27-35)

Alexander Solzhenitsyn was a Russian novelist, philosopher and political prisoner. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1970. In his autobiographical book “Gulag Archipelago” where he spent eight years in incarceration, he described that one day he felt physically weak and totally discourage. The hard labor, the terrible condition insider this Siberian prison, lack of food and sleep made him give up. He just wanted to die.

With no reason to keep on living, he stopped working and put his shovel down. He sat down on a crude bench waiting for the guard to beat him to death as he had seen so many times to tired prisoners. Intense suffering reduced him to despair.

As he waited, head down, he felt the presence of an old prisoner who sat down with him. He said nothing. Using a stick, he traced down on the dirt the sign of the cross. Then he got up and returned to his work.

Alexander revealed that when he stared at the cross on the dirt, his perspective changed. He felt the power of the cross. He knew there was something greater than the evil he saw in the prison camp; greater than the Soviet Union. He knew that hope was represented by that simple cross. Through the power of the cross, anything was possible.

Slowly he rose to his feet. He picked up his shovel and went back to work. Outwardly, nothing has changed. Inside, he had received hope; the strength never to give up.

Today’s gospel (Mk 8:27-35) is an invitation to look up and feel the presence of the cross and experience its power. Those who experience despair and discouragement will always find in the cross the strength to rise. In Mark’s gospel, this is a turning point in the mystery of Jesus. It reveals him as the Messiah; not a political or powerful figure but a suffering servant. He will undergo his paschal mystery – he will suffer; he will be rejected; he will be put to death; but he will rise again.

There are three moments I would like to emphasize from the gospel: 3 C’s

Confrontation – the moment of confrontation the first seven chapters of Mark contains a mystery. The looming question is: who is Jesus? Why does he teach with authority? Where does his power of healing come from? How can he walk on water? Even the evil spirits know him but Jesus tells them to be quiet. Jesus is reluctant to reveal his secret. Now he confronts his disciples about his identity.

Confession – the moment of revelation. Peter acknowledges him as Messiah or the Christ. Jesus accepts this title which is not a personal opinion but his real mission. This is the true purpose of his life and the very reason why he was born. God has sent his son into the world to restore humanity to its original state as it was in the beginning.

Cost of Discipleship. Being Messiah is not easy. The prophecies have already declared it. It has an expensive price. Yet only in union with Christ can there be life and glory. Jesus teaches us a simple but difficult formula for discipleship:

S + C = R or Sacrifice + Cross = Resurrection

Sacrifice means something to give up – your will; your obedience; desire; pride; self-love; ego; addictions. Things you offer and surrender to the Lord.

Cross means bearing our pain with faith and love; then with Christ we shall rise and find life. This is the paradox of Christian life. We gain by losing; we receive by giving and we live by dying. That is the power of the cross; the secret of the paschal mystery. Somebody said: only in the cross will we receive power when we are powerless; we will find strength when we are weak; we will experience hope when our situation is hopeless. Only in the cross is there peace for troubled hearts.

TURNING THE OTHER CHEEK

The movie 42 tells the story of a baseball player, Jackie Robinson. He was the first black athlete to play in the Major League Baseball (MLB). Since 1880s, black athletes were barred from MLB. In 1940s, Robinson was recruited to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers. But the owner advised him to withstand racial abuse he would surely encounter inside and outside his team. He was challenged not to fight or confront but use non-violence.

He should have the guts not to retaliate and be able to turn the other cheek. He should focus on winning baseball not on reacting or fighting. People should remember him as a gentleman and a great baseball player. Though difficult, this he did! During his ten seasons, the Dodgers played six World Series with his help. He is the first black athlete to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962.

In today’s gospel (Lk 6:27-38), Jesus proposes non-violence to his followers. He commanded: love your enemies; do good to those who hate you; bless those who curse you and pay for those who maltreat you! This command is difficult; yet doable. To make it happen, we need tons of motivation to have the courage not to fight back and turn the other cheek.

The follower of Christ ought to have these three qualities:

1.  Peaceful. He is not violent nor aggressive. Not fighting back is not a sign of weakness. Instead, it shows a person in control of himself. Jesus wants us to act out of love and gentleness. Our action is not ruled by anger, pride or instinct. A peaceful person has self-mastery over his emotions. 

2.     Patience. Love is patient. Jesus wants his followers to be kind. A patient man is able to see the bigger picture. His revenge is to bless and to pray. He is willing to accept the other knowing that every person is still a work in progress.

3.     Pro-active. Jesus’ follower is not reactive but proactive. He is rational and self-controlled.

One might say these virtues can only be implemented in the ideal world. Yet it is possible because even Jackie Robinson was able to practice it. All the more we need to learn them from our Master, Jesus Christ.

MOTHER'S LOVE

 A story is told about a little boy who came to his mother one evening after dinner. With an innocent grin, he presented her with a small piece of paper.

For cleaning my room: Charge – P10

For washing the dishes: Charge – P10

For going to the store: Charge – P10

For taking out the garbage: Charge – P10

For baby-sitting my kid brother: Charge – P10

     Total Cost: P50

Reading it, his mother was amused. Then she picked up a pen and wrote at the back of the paper:

For nine months I carried you in my womb: No charge

For the sleepless nights I endured when you got sick while praying for you: No charge

For the tears and heartaches, you caused through the years: No charge

For the food, toys and clothes. Even wiping your nose: No charge

     Total cost of my love: No charge

A mother’s love is amazing. Its phenomenal and one of a kind. And its all for free; all for love with no service charge whatsoever.

Today we celebrate Mama Mary’s birthday (Sept 8). Why do we give it importance? Because, first of all, it was God who made her so special by choosing her above all other women. God designated her and prepared her to be the mother of Jesus. That makes her unique among other mortals! In today’s gospel (Mt 1: 1-23) she is part of Jesus’ genealogy. Jesus traces his bloodline from her. She made it possible for him to become human. God has become one of us.

We make this day one of thanks and praise. We thank God for the gift of her life; that she was born at all! We learn so much from her life. She has become the paragon of virtues. Her greatest contribution to the world is her motherhood. She’s the mother of Jesus. When she said: Yes.. she accepted God’s Plan. She donated to God not just her body; her plans, her future, her dreams. God’s dream became hers. She embraced it totally. Moreover, she became our mother too. She also embraced spiritual motherhood.

Her birth ushered the time of salvation. She brought the needed sunshine to the dark and hopeless world. At her birth, salvation is near. She is like a movie trailer: Jesus is coming soon. That makes it a milestone in the history of salvation. Expectation became intense. Excitement became earnest. She’s bringing the period of grace as she is full of grace.

At her birth, God gave us one of his most treasured being. She was well preserved; well protected; shielded from any poison of sin. She was pure, immaculate. Perfect.  If she is most precious to God, then she is someone really worth having. She is, in fact, our “tainted nature’s solitary boast” because she is literally God’s amazing masterpiece. God willed that she become the instrument and channel of grace: to Jesus through Mary. 

Ephpheta

Ludvig Van Beethoven was a German-born musician. He is regarded as one of the greatest classical composers like Mozart. By his 20s he was considered a brilliant virtuoso pianist in Europe. By his 30s, he composed piano concertos, 6 string quartet and his first symphony. Everything was moving towards a long, successful career ahead.

 But one day, began to hear buzzing and ringing sounds in his ears. His hearing was steadily growing weaker. During orchestra practices he had to stay close to the performers; he couldn’t hear when people spoke softly. He kept it secret for three years because it meant the ruin of his career in music. Sadly, at 44 years old, he was completely deaf. There were many theories why – some say lead poisoning, typhus or his habit of throwing his head into cold water to be awake.

Yet some of his most important works were composed during the last 10 years of his life despite being deaf. His most famous composition is the 5^th Symphony. Its opening motif is the door knocking. He describes it as ‘fate knocking at the door.’ The cruel hearing loss that he feared would afflict him for the rest of his life.

Being deaf or blind or any physical deficiency is really tough and difficult. In today’s gospel (Mk 7:31-37), it narrates the cure of a deaf and mute man. It shows the care and compassion of Jesus. When he touched his tongue and prayed: Ephpheta, meaning ‘be opened. ’ He was cured. He could hear and speak again. The crowd were so amazed. They declared: “he has done all things well!” They gave Jesus the highest grade: excellent.

Here Jesus repairs a broken person. He can also repair a broken humanity; can make things new. Jesus is a fixer; a trouble-shooter; a mender. Jesus can mend ears, eyes, hearts even broken pieces of our lives. Jesus can make us whole and make us well.

Today, our prayer is also: Ephpheta. Be opened. Be unlocked.

We pray that we too can open our ears, our eyes and our hearts. We ask the Lord: Lord, open our eyes. We can be blinded when we don’t see others or don’t see God working in our lives. We suffer from spiritual nearsightedness; you’re able to see the tiny details of your life but fail to look upward or outward and miss the big picture; what God wants to do with your life for others.

Lord, open our ears. We can be deaf. We struggle to hear because you just listen to yourself and your own opinions. We can be selective in listening; or listen to what we like or what we want to hear. We can learn from the boy Samuel’s prayer: Speak Lord, your servant is listening.

Lord, open our hearts. We can deliberately close our hearts. It means giving God permission to take control; have access to all the rooms of our hearts; hand him the keys of your life. We surrender. We are familiar with the story of Christ knocking at the door of each heart. But our heart is a strange. It has no door knob. It can’t be opened from outside; only form within.

Today, our prayer is ephpheta. Let us make a generous choice to allow God to open our eyes, our ears, our hearts, our very life. . Lord, take away my deafness, my blindness, my selfishness. Amen.