Two of my
cousins came to Cebu for a short vacation. It had been years since they
returned. Work and family abroad have absorbed most of their waking hours.
Theirs was such a sweet-respite to get a break. They were more than willing to
stay longer so that we could do more catching up with our lives. Both came at a
time of the year when Christmas carols have ceased playing over the airwaves.
At least they heard the Sinulog drumbeats before they fell silent. They stayed
on when things had gone back to normal and I was getting into the groove of my
routine again.
I had
ambivalent feelings when I was told of their arrival. The excitement of seeing
them was great; yet that nudging why-only-now feeling was beating faster. I had
to squeeze my schedule to meet them in order to spend quality time. I had to
prioritize their presence and actually had to go the extra mile for them. In
the end, the effort, the time, the sacrifice was worth it. The simplest reason
was: I cared about them. They are my family! I realized when you do something
out of love, it feels like it cost you nothing.
When Jesus,
in the Sermon of the Mount, taught his disciples: “Should anyone press you into
service for one mile, go with him for two miles,” it must have caused
consternation among his listeners. Rome imposed a legal obligation to the Jews,
a colonized people, to carry a burden for a mile. Roman soldiers especially
compelled Jewish men to carry their heavy backpacks. And they hated it that after
a mile they refused a step further. Yet Jesus was getting them to understand
that they are to do more than is required by law. They are to go beyond the
minimum. A Christian’s love is to love without measure.
Ash
Wednesday ushered us into the Season of Lent. And as Catholics flocked into
Churches to wear their faith in their foreheads, they were once again invited
to practice the spiritual disciplines of almsgiving, fasting and prayer. For
some, the rules for fasting and abstinence may be cumbersome. The penitential
requirements may be demanding. But the aim for all these is: to create a space
of God in our lives. More than a ritual to be practiced or a task to be done,
Lent is about prioritizing God. We are invited to go the extra mile because we
truly care about Jesus. This attitude ought to be the true spirit behind our
Lenten observance.
There are
two dangers in our Lenten observance. One, we become indifferent. We take on
the I-don’t-care attitude and let just Lent pass unnoticed. We don’t practice
any spiritual discipline at all. We just don’t have time for these trivialities
because of other priorities in school or work. We just don’t like to listen to
God’s voice or to give up anything at all. Pope Francis, in his Lenten Message
for 2015 pointed out a phenomenon he calls the “globalization of indifference.”
He reminds us that “indifference to our neighbor and to God also represents a
real temptation for us Christians. Each year during Lent we need to hear once
more the voice of the prophets who cry out and trouble our conscience.”
The second
danger is our selfishness. We become focused on what we give up that they
become potentials for our bragging and boasting. We become high on ourselves.
Pope Francis gives us this light:
“whenever our interior life becomes caught up in its own interests and
concerns, there is no longer room for others, no place for the poor. God’s
voice is no longer heard, the quiet joy of his love is no longer felt, and the
desire to do good fades.”
The goal of
our spiritual discipline is selflessness and spiritual renewal. In the Gospel,
Jesus cautioned his disciples not to “perform religious deeds for people to
see.” The basic Lenten program is expressed in the Prophet Joel’s message of
“return to the Lord.” It is a call directed from inside-out. It is a challenge
of having a “new heart” that becomes more available for others. This makes Lent
a time of grace in our preparation for Easter.
If taken
seriously, we could develop healthy spiritual habits that could go beyond the
40-day limit. We become less self-absorbed and take on the attitude of Christ.
Such attitude of generosity and extending ourselves beyond what’s expected can
truly enrich others. It can make a positive difference. Perhaps the world
becomes better starting with ourselves. I believe when we do more that what is
necessary, it becomes a true act of compassion. Truly, the extra mile is the
mile of great love. It is a mile of joyful sacrifice.
