Undue attachments or moderate love

In this passing life, our final destiny is what our Catechism teaches us ever since – “to know, love and serve God in this world and be happy with Him in the next.  Surely we know this is a passing world and we are all created by God for that eternal destiny.  It’s no use being unduly attached to these or those persons or objects since our allegiance in finality is to be for our Lord and God for whom we intend our services and sacrifices, while we show our kindness and love to people in our world as God has commanded us – “you shall love your neighbor as you love yourself,” in accord with God’s 10 commandments.

What is most proper then, if we are to keep God’s laws, is to love and respect our parents and brothers and sisters God has given us and love the rest of humanity, in accordance with God’s laws of justice, love and mercy.  And even for practicing a universal love for all people Jesus made this solemn promise: “Everyone who has left houses, brothers, sisters, father, mother, children or land for the sake of my name will be repaid a hundred times over, and also inherit eternal life” (Mt. 19:29).  Such a consoling promise indeed and we know that from the history of the lives of Saints who offered their lives in the service of Jesus Christ and His Catholic Church.

Religion of hope

If Christianity has spread to the farthest corners of the world it is because of its promise and assurance of hope in life eternal. The promise, of course, is not just based on empty words but backed by instances and reality.  Even the Founder Himself, the Lord Jesus, had His life and miracles to follow up His words.  So even if Jesus had said “Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Mt. 4:4), His words and deeds proved the truth of all He said, yea, His own life, death and resurrection are strong proof of His life and mission to save the world.  “The Word was made flesh, he lived among us, and we saw his glory, the glory that is his as the only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth” (Jn. 1:14).

Even at the end of the gospel written by St. Mark there is reference to the many facts and happenings that accompanied the faith of Christians through the ages.  “These are the signs that will be associated with believers: in my name they will cast out devils; they will have the gift of tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and be unharmed should they drink deadly poison; they will lay their hands on the sick, who will recover” (Mk. 16:17).  You can read all that in the history of the Catholic Church and the marvels or miracles portrayed in the lives of her Saints ever since her very beginnings.  As Jesus had said, “the one who asks always receives; the one who searches always finds; the one who knocks will always have the door opened to him” (Mt. 7:8).  If you are humble and sincere to yourself and persevere in your search, you will most certainly encounter the truth ‘that will set you free’ (Jn. 8:32).

Mother's love

Certainly etched in our memories are the mother’s care for us from our earliest years.  No wonder a mother’s love and care has something of sacredness in its very concept.

God has been so wise indeed giving us a mother’s care even in our spiritual needs and pursuits.  The Blessed Virgin Mary has been a mother to us believers, more especially in the needs of the spirit, as we all aspire to reach the heavenly heights of God’s eternal kingdom.  We entrust ourselves to her motherly care and support, especially in this crucial battle against demonic forces on our way to heaven.  The battle is crucial indeed since Satan and his angels tend ever to pull us down to the underworld of the fires of Hell.

The truthful life

It is important that you be true to yourself from the very depths of your nature.  It’s no use to pretend to be what you are not. Sooner or later your true nature will show itself.  So it’s no use pretending to be what you are not.  Just be yourself. Otherwise your trend is only hypocrisy.

Jesus strongly criticized the hypocrisy of the Jewish scribes and Pharisees which you can read in the whole chapter 23 of the gospel of St. Matthew (herewith partly quoted).

“Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites!  You who clean the outside of cup and dish and leave the inside full of extortion and intemperance.  Blind Pharisee!  Clean the inside of cup and dish first so that the outside may become clean as well” (Mt. 23:25-26).

There’s also a beautiful quotation from William Shakespeare taken from his play “Hamlet” Act 1, sc.3 where he says as follows:  “Neither a borrower nor a lender be; For loan oft loses both itself and friend, and borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.  This above all – to thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man.  Farewell, my blessing season this in thee!”

Gratefulness to God

Through the years we are witnesses to God’s tokens and gifts to us in the form of peace, progress and the company of caring friends He gives us in this our transitory life on earth.  Hence we realize how much we owe to God who deserves all the glory we can give.  Yes, God truly cares for us.  The Psalms of the Bible testify to God’s glorious deeds of love and kindness.  “What is man that you should spare a thought for him, the son of man that you should care for him?  Yet you have made him little less than a god, you have crowned him with glory and splendor, made him lord over the work of your hands, set all things under his feet, sheep and oxen, all these, yes, wild animals too, birds in the air, fish in the sea traveling the paths of the ocean.  Yahweh, our Lord, how great your name throughout the earth!” (Ps. 8:4-9).

As we conjecture on the past events of our world we can see how God can extract and formulate good from the many sad happenings and occurrences that ever happened.  All these as God’s word in Rom. 8:28 points out: “We know that by turning everything to their good God cooperates with all those who love him.” 

True Church

This has been an ever constant question.  What or where or which is the true Church left to us by Jesus Christ, our Lord?  Naturally this is a controversial question.  But it’s useless to go into squabbles, but rather respect each person’s freedom.

What I wish to say is, we should just try to follow the Lord’s suggestion instead of boasting of our stance or standpoint.  What does Our Lord say in Mt. 7:7?  “Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find: knock and the door will be opened to you.  For the one who asks always receives; the one who searches always finds; the one who knocks will always have the door opened to him” (Mt. 7:7).  Such are the infallible words of the Lord Jesus.  So if you sincerely and honestly seek for the truth, your life will not just be superficial all the time, but God’s Spirit will surely show you the path that leads to the truth.  Even Shakespeare said that: “To thine own self be true and it shall follow as day follows night, you will be true to every man.”

And then remember the Latin axiom: “Contra factum non valet argumentum” (translate: you do not argue against facts).  In any or whatsoever argumentation, it should be based on facts or true history, not just talk and/or speculation.  Look at the facts here and now and everywhere, and keep your mind calmly open to the hard truth, hard yes, but the saving truth. 

“If you make my word your home you will indeed be my disciples, you will learn the truth and the truth will make you free” (Jn. 8:32).  Only the truthful is free while lies are the instrument of the devil.