Sometimes people donning a holy garb may be captivated by the tricks of the devil into ways of thinking that are opposite to the gospel of Jesus which asks for universal love for all people without discrimination, inclusive of enemies (cf. Mt. 5). They do get some following just because of the supposed garb of righteousness. If you are not watchful you can, as anybody else, be carried away by such trickery of the devil. As Jesus warned very sternly, "you will know them by their fruits."
Consider history in the past years, the countless lives lost in encounters of judgmental attitudes, hate, anger and fury; the vocations to religion lost because of deceiving thoughts, teachings or ideas. At the time it was not clear, the whole deception. The words of Jesus: "The devil is a murderer and the father of lies" (Jn. 8:44). Jesus reiterates: "I repeat, you will be able to tell them by their fruits" (Mt. 7:19). The formula of St. Edith Stein, a Jewish convert to Catholicism who became a Carmelite nun, and was martyred by the Nazi, is applicable here to escape the devil's wiles: "Do not readily accept as love if it is not accompanied by truth, and do not readily accept as truth if it is ot accompanied by love." As St. Paul explains in Rom. 13:10: "Love is the one thing that cannot hurt your neighbour; that is why it is the answer to every one of the commandments." It is ever basic in our good relations to keep Christ's behest: "Judge not and you will not be judged" (Mt. 7:1).
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
Infected Minds
SO it's true, they say in Latin, Ideae regunt mundum, translated: "Ideas rule the world." But they can be wrong too, and they can infect anyone, without exception. I mean the divisive ideologies, the devil's wiles as the Bible says: "Now have salvation and power come, the reign of our God and the authority of his Anointed One. For the accuser of our brothers is cast out, who night and day accused them before our God" (Rev. 12:10). So these divisive ideologies may even infect Church people who neglect prayer and the spirit of obedience to Church authority to engage in divisive and judgmental rallies that may even end in violence and disturbance.
On the contrary, the fruits of the Spirit direct us towards unity, love and reconciliation, not division and enmity. "What the Spirit brings is very different: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustfulness, gentleness, self-control, and chastity" (Gal. 5:22-23). Not all the ideas in our free society are truly inspired by God's Spirit, especially if they stem from human pride and disregard legitimate authority. Jesus made it very clear and we must discern from His unmistakeable warning. "Beware of false prophets (false teachers) who come to you disguised as sheep but underneath are ravenous wolves. You will be able to tell them by their fruits...A sound tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor a rotten tree bear good fruit... I repeat, you will be able to tell them by their fruits" (Mt. 7:15-20). This sort of infection, characterized by disrespect towards legitimate authority and causing disunity and disruption in society is a kind of "lumang tugtugin," as if we did not recall past history when our world, our land was in chaos because of the infection of false ideas, false theories under the guise of reform that only brought the fruit of confusion and violence.
As St. Paul expresses above, the Spirit of the Lord is a Spirit of love and peace and unity. In the text we cited above, Rev. 12:10, the devil is said to be the "accuser of our brothers." Even the etymology of the word "devil" means slanderer or accuser. Let's not be judgmental but rather educate people in the right ideas and work rather as Jesus wants us to do, for reconciliation. St. Teresa, following Jesus' way of thinking, expressed it this way: "Much wrongdoing would be avoided if we realized our business is to be on guard, not against men, but against displeasing the Lord."
On the contrary, the fruits of the Spirit direct us towards unity, love and reconciliation, not division and enmity. "What the Spirit brings is very different: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustfulness, gentleness, self-control, and chastity" (Gal. 5:22-23). Not all the ideas in our free society are truly inspired by God's Spirit, especially if they stem from human pride and disregard legitimate authority. Jesus made it very clear and we must discern from His unmistakeable warning. "Beware of false prophets (false teachers) who come to you disguised as sheep but underneath are ravenous wolves. You will be able to tell them by their fruits...A sound tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor a rotten tree bear good fruit... I repeat, you will be able to tell them by their fruits" (Mt. 7:15-20). This sort of infection, characterized by disrespect towards legitimate authority and causing disunity and disruption in society is a kind of "lumang tugtugin," as if we did not recall past history when our world, our land was in chaos because of the infection of false ideas, false theories under the guise of reform that only brought the fruit of confusion and violence.
As St. Paul expresses above, the Spirit of the Lord is a Spirit of love and peace and unity. In the text we cited above, Rev. 12:10, the devil is said to be the "accuser of our brothers." Even the etymology of the word "devil" means slanderer or accuser. Let's not be judgmental but rather educate people in the right ideas and work rather as Jesus wants us to do, for reconciliation. St. Teresa, following Jesus' way of thinking, expressed it this way: "Much wrongdoing would be avoided if we realized our business is to be on guard, not against men, but against displeasing the Lord."
Saturday, April 11, 2009
The Ways of the Lord
Jesus preached to the poor. He died poor. He suffered for us the ignominious death on the cross. Yet His was the way that brought salvation.
And we must do no less because He had said: "If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself, take up his cross daily and follow me" (Lk. 9:23). This too is the way of all the saints who hold the palm of victory, because humbly they carried their cross every day of their lives. Read the lives of saints and see if you can point to even one who was just sitting pretty doing no sacrifice at all. Even the act of true Christian love is itself sacrifice. St. Paul describes it as: "Love is humble, patient and forgiving" (1 Cor. 13:4). The ideologists say: "Be tough, radical and clench-fisted." The Christian: "Be not overcome by evil but overcome evil with good" (Rom. 12:21). Check it up.
Whom has the Lord exalted: the proud or the humble?
And we must do no less because He had said: "If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself, take up his cross daily and follow me" (Lk. 9:23). This too is the way of all the saints who hold the palm of victory, because humbly they carried their cross every day of their lives. Read the lives of saints and see if you can point to even one who was just sitting pretty doing no sacrifice at all. Even the act of true Christian love is itself sacrifice. St. Paul describes it as: "Love is humble, patient and forgiving" (1 Cor. 13:4). The ideologists say: "Be tough, radical and clench-fisted." The Christian: "Be not overcome by evil but overcome evil with good" (Rom. 12:21). Check it up.
Whom has the Lord exalted: the proud or the humble?
Eye of the Storm
Pope John Paul II, the man of the century, emerged from a situation of various conflicts and ideological systems in the world and came out with the agenda of peace: "There can be no peace without justice but there can be no justice without forgiveness." He worked for unity and reconciliation in our world and, certainly was against war. He encouraged Chiara Lubich, founder of the Focolare, to propagate the work for unity of all peoples and categories.
If there was a storm of wrong ideas or ideologies before, are there still now? Yes! Because the devil is working hard, and he can infect people who are supposed to be God's instruments for peace; yet as happened before (remember history), they may become the "ravenous wolves in sheep's clothing" (Mt. 7:15), because they think they know, so they don't listen to the Church. And a little knowledge is dangerous. How? Because the truth is one whole. A lie is half or part of it. That is where deception lies. Where pride and disobedience reign, there is the liability for the devil's deception to come in. If Jesus made that stern warning about false prophets as being ravenous wolves disguised as sheep (Mt. 7:15), it must be an important index. What index? Jesus said: "I repeat, you will be able to tell them by their fruits" (Mt. 7:20).
What were and are the fruits? The wars, the conflicts, the vocations lost, the lives lost, the anger, hatred and indifference. These are not the fruits of the Spirit. The fruits of the Spirit are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustfulness, gentleness, self-control, chastity (Gal. 5:22). As Jesus explains in chapter 13 of St. Matthew's gospel in the parable of the weeds, God allows the good and the bad to grow together but at the end of the world the evil ones will be cast into eternal fire, the good into God's kingdom and eternal happiness. There is freedom, yes, but in the end reward or punishment, according to your works (Mt. 16:27: Ps. 62:12).
If there was a storm of wrong ideas or ideologies before, are there still now? Yes! Because the devil is working hard, and he can infect people who are supposed to be God's instruments for peace; yet as happened before (remember history), they may become the "ravenous wolves in sheep's clothing" (Mt. 7:15), because they think they know, so they don't listen to the Church. And a little knowledge is dangerous. How? Because the truth is one whole. A lie is half or part of it. That is where deception lies. Where pride and disobedience reign, there is the liability for the devil's deception to come in. If Jesus made that stern warning about false prophets as being ravenous wolves disguised as sheep (Mt. 7:15), it must be an important index. What index? Jesus said: "I repeat, you will be able to tell them by their fruits" (Mt. 7:20).
What were and are the fruits? The wars, the conflicts, the vocations lost, the lives lost, the anger, hatred and indifference. These are not the fruits of the Spirit. The fruits of the Spirit are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustfulness, gentleness, self-control, chastity (Gal. 5:22). As Jesus explains in chapter 13 of St. Matthew's gospel in the parable of the weeds, God allows the good and the bad to grow together but at the end of the world the evil ones will be cast into eternal fire, the good into God's kingdom and eternal happiness. There is freedom, yes, but in the end reward or punishment, according to your works (Mt. 16:27: Ps. 62:12).
Friday, April 10, 2009
The Interior Life
(claiming your rights)
The unhappy lot of people who keep on shouting for the rights they claim ought rather reflect whether God wishes it that way, as the Israelites did their complaints at the desert on the way to the promised land. St. Faustina, in her book: "Diary--Divine Mercy in My Soul" has some quotations in that regard (paragraph 1701).
"I asked the Lord today that He might deign to teach me about the interior life, because of myself I can neither understand nor conceive anything perfectly. The Lord answered me, "I am your Teacher, I am and will be; strive to make your heart like unto my humble and gentle heart. Never claim your rights. Bear with great calm and patience everything that befalls you. Do not defend yourself when you are put to shame, though innocent. Let others triumph. Do not stop being good when you notice that your goodness is being abused. I Myself will speak up for you when it is necessary. Be grateful for the smallest of My graces, because your gratitude compels Me to grant you new graces..."
The unhappy lot of people who keep on shouting for the rights they claim ought rather reflect whether God wishes it that way, as the Israelites did their complaints at the desert on the way to the promised land. St. Faustina, in her book: "Diary--Divine Mercy in My Soul" has some quotations in that regard (paragraph 1701).
"I asked the Lord today that He might deign to teach me about the interior life, because of myself I can neither understand nor conceive anything perfectly. The Lord answered me, "I am your Teacher, I am and will be; strive to make your heart like unto my humble and gentle heart. Never claim your rights. Bear with great calm and patience everything that befalls you. Do not defend yourself when you are put to shame, though innocent. Let others triumph. Do not stop being good when you notice that your goodness is being abused. I Myself will speak up for you when it is necessary. Be grateful for the smallest of My graces, because your gratitude compels Me to grant you new graces..."
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