BREVITY OF HUMAN LIFE

We do have ambitions for a long life.  Yet counting from the very first centuries of human existence, we know and we should realize how short the human life span is.  Sixty or seventy would be the average age or even eighty for the stronger ones.  God wants us to remember that our life on earth is fleeting and temporary.  It would be better to make sure we live lives according to God’s will so we may deserve the reward God has prepared for us in His kingdom.  Yes, most surely we should not be shortsighted and narrowed to the material and fleshly allurements and risk losing our eternal rewards that God prepares for those who are faithful to Him and keep His commands of love and justice.  True indeed, as you can observe, life is short and passing away.  Let’s be after true greatness which only consists in our constant quest to fulfill God’s will in our lives.

In Chapter 26 of the gospel of St. Matthew in verse 42, Jesus prayed to His heavenly Father in this way: “My Father, if this cup cannot pass by without my drinking it, your will be done!” (Mt. 26:42).  Doing God’s will should be our only and constant aim in life.  In the Bible’s book of Psalms chapter 90 verse 9, thus God’s word describes human existence: “Our days dwindle under your wrath, our lives are over in a breath – our life lasts for seventy years, eighty with good health” (Ps. 90:9). 

FACING REALITY

One thing which we have to learn in life is to be able to face reality bravely.  Part of the reality we have to face is our own weaknesses and shortcomings.  But sure indeed one of the surest signs of bravery is to be able to face the reality of your own weaknesses and limitations.  You cannot remain a coward all your life just because you are paralyzed by fear that haunts you all your life.

However you can vanquish that subjective fear by learning to face reality.  Make an effort to remedy such cowardice since it can only lead to greater disappointments and failures.  As one famous writer once said in his book titled “Powers That Be,” he was quoted as saying: “Face the Situation Fearlessly and There is no Situation to be Faced.”   

Many problems in society may certainly have an adequate solution if only we faced them.  This may turn out a failure for you just because you never bothered to give it a try.  Usually successful people have been thoroughly persistent in their quest for success.

PARENTAL ATTACHMENTS

Loyalty and love for the parents is really something admirable and natural.  In fact it is of the basic commandments of God (the 4th commandment): Honor your Father and your Mother.  But as we grow towards maturity in life there are decisions we have to make which mean taking a step when we have to leave our parental attachments—because we are forming a new family or entering a religious vocation which may entail leaving your close family circles, e.g. becoming a priest or nun or whatever other vocation or commitment in life which may require leaving the original family ties.  Anyhow that’s natural as we mature in life.  These new attachments do not mean of course denying the original parenthood, only some adjustments being made to new states in life, as we grow in Maturity.  Surely there is a time when we become less dependent on family ties as we mature, as we grow from childhood to manhood or womanhood.  That’s what we see in most families in our world, the stages of growth from childhood to human maturity as men and women.

The gospels contain some enigmatic expressions which explain how in the lives of many Saints they had to sacrifice close family ties to follow a religious vocation as you can see in the lives of many Catholic Saints who entered the religious life as priests or nuns.  They were just as if forming a religious group or family (congregation) just as a man and a woman leave their original family ties when they get married.  Of course, the religious congregations do not enter into marriage but their numbers live together as a community under the solemn vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, separately of course, the congregations of men and women religious, which are numerous worldwide, and here in Davao Oriental and many other places in the Philippines they take care of most of our Catholic schools and many Churches and parishes.  Celibacy in the lives of priests and religious is certainly an evident mystery since we can see how they extend their love and care to millions and millions of children and people as they continue their mission in schools and parishes, here and the whole world over.

Movements in the world

(Watch Out!)

As the ancients used to say: “Ideae regunt mundum” – It is ideas that rule the world.  Most movements in the world were generated by the ideas of strong-willed people desiring to bring some reform into our world.  The important task for us is to discern and be able to select which are the genuine ones that truly bring a needed reform or change in society. But just as in anything we have to learn to discern the good from the bad, as Jesus Himself warned His disciples: “Beware of false prophets who come to you disguised as sheep but underneath are ravenous wolves.  You will be able to tell them by their fruits. Can people pick grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles?  In the same way, a sound tree produces good fruit but a rotten tree bad fruit.  A sound tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor a rotten tree bear good fruit.  Any tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown on the fire. I repeat you will be able to tell them by their fruits” (Mt. 7:15).

Movements that only bring trouble and violence and confusion are not truly prophetic but only those that serve the purposes of love, unity, brotherhood and peace.  Let’s be true to ourselves and aim for peace, understanding and love for one another.  Jesus, Our Savior clearly warned us to beware of false prophets who come disguised as sheep but underneath are ravenous wolves.  These are the people who can only bring confusion and violence to our world under the semblance of peace and harmony.

God's favorites

God plays no favorites but gives His grace and love to everyone who is faithful and trustworthy in keeping His commandments of justice and love. You can see this in the roster of the lives of the thousands of Saints enumerated in the Catholic Church or other Christian groups.

The Saints are people who were earnestly dedicated to a life of prayer, sacrifice and service to God Almighty whom God favored with His many signs and marvels that were constant proof of their fidelity to God and His Church.  Surely you can read many lives of Saints, especially those recognized in many of our Catholic Churches. Most surely there are also many books or booklets of the lives of Saints. The Church has promoted such collections based on history as example for many of our people who may be inspired by the Lives of Saints since they come from all walks of life or professions in the world aside from the many members of the clergy or religious congregations of men or women.  This only goes to show that sanctity is open to all people sincerely seeking for it. 

Jesus most surely was not mistaken when He said: “Everyone who seeks always finds” (Lk. 11:10).