Peace! Kalilintad! Shalom!

Author: A Dose of God Today

  • MY LIFE BEGINS AT THE END OF MY COMFORT ZONE

    MY LIFE BEGINS AT THE END OF MY COMFORT ZONE

    Mission Reflection by Rizza Mae O. Malalay of RYM-Iligan

    There is a quote that says, “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone. ” So, I was wondering if it is true or just a mere quote. The Balabagan Parish Mission was my longest mission exposure so far. It was also my first time away from home for almost three months. I did feel scared, nervous and I also had doubts about myself. But my excitement in joining the mission outweighed all of those. I was thinking of what would be my part in the mission team? And in what way I could be of help? Occupied by those thoughts, little did I know that it was the other way around.

    Balabagan is one of the municipalities of Lanao del Sur. They do not have malls or fast food chains. When you buy things it is quite pricey. They also have power interruptions every now and then and they do not have signals in some of the areas.  But despite that, they have the most generous and happy hearts. I remember every time I was at the parish health center, they would always offer me some snacks. They shared not only their food but also their stories, their life-lessons, their story of faith, their  love, their warmth and themselves.

    There was a particular Nanay whom I got close with in one of the areas. She would just let me do what I want. I also loved to tag along with her wherever she goes. She would let me scratch the ‘buko’ for our snacks and told me many times not to include the inner brown one, for it will only add bitterness to the buko. And yes for the record, I always include to scratch the brown one 😁. She would also let me do the traditional grating of coconut meat, even though I do not know how to do it. She was just there smiling patiently waiting for me to give up. And who would have thought that she would let us dug their sweet potatoes in their backyard? So, I asked her why she was so good to us, even though she was kind of disconcerted when we were around. She just replied to me that she was grateful and joyful that God sent us there, that’s why she wanted to provide us all the best that she have.

    What I also loved in Balabagan was the presence of the youth. They were just one call away. They were willing to help in any of the activities of the parish. And I just have to inform them ahead. One time, I had this conversation with them, I asked them about the situation of the youth in their community. They casually told me about teenagers getting married at a young age and about teenage pregnancy.  They also told me that they want to learn and discover more about themselves and to have a deeper relationship with God.

    Those encounters led me to these realizations.

    • There is beauty in simplicity. I grew up where when you buy coconut,  you will just add 15-20 pesos and the machine will do all the work, no sweat. We do not have coconut trees or even land for crops. So technically I have to buy everything. Living there for almost three months, made me dream of a simpler life, doing things manually, not checking my social media accounts every now and then, or not binge watching K-Drama series for the whole day. In this world of artificial intelligence, I yearn to always go back to simple things, looking above to see the stars, the moon, beholding sunsets, sunrises, mountains, seas, hiking under the heat of the sun and getting wet in the rain.
    •  It may sound absurd, but I was so touched when the youth talked about their concerns about their fellow youth. It shows that they were not blind at all about what is happening around them. They can see and they can hear. They knew what is wrong and right, they just don’t know how to make a move with regards to it. They were also afraid that they will make a wrong move or they will fail. These are reasons why they were too shy to show their talents and creativity. They felt afraid that they were too young to involve themselves in the community.

    So, here are my takeaways in this journey;

    • People who are joyful and grateful do not complain, instead they just live for the moment. Life is neither perfect nor it is easy. But, being joyful and grateful would help us lighten all the loads and burdens that life throws at us. Not to mention the truth that in this life’s journey, we are never alone. When we have a grateful and joyful heart, we will be able to see God in everything that we do and we will be filled with His grace.
    • When you love what you are doing, you don’t count the cost. You are willing to give more and you always do your best. That is how powerful love is.
    • To make a better world, we are called to empower the young. That they should be confident about themselves, that their thoughts and their views, matters. That they matters. We should form them to be Christ-centered, fully human and mission oriented. Reminding them that they are beloved, gifted and empowered. So that they can maximize their gifts and resources. Allowing them to use them for God’s glory. To have a better world we need to be a better citizen first.

    The quote “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone” may be true to some. My life has started as I am going through this rollercoaster of emotions and phases of life.

    We are a little lost in life, aren’t we? As for me, life begins when you find out your purpose in life and when you share your life with others. When you discover your purpose, then you will know where you are going and you will never be lost. At the end of the day, it is not about me, it is about the lives of the people whom I have touched. Because by others, by serving others, one will be able to know who we are and will be able to discover more about ourselves.

    I pray that I may fill my heart with love and my life with service.

  • Hearts Known

    Hearts Known

    July 1, 2021 – Thursday 13th Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/070121.cfm)

    Jesus said in our gospel today: “Take heart, son. Your sins are forgiven.” The paralytic & his friends came for healing, but they rather received more than what they bargain for. Instead, they got encouragement & forgiveness from Jesus. Yes, their present immediate concern must be for healing from physical paralysis. But beyond the hopeless bodily outward condition of the paralytic, his friends & himself must have felt the guilt, shame & curse of the inner condition of the paralysis and sickness. Beyond & more than physical healing, deep inside, the paralytic & his friends need & are longing for mental, emotional & spiritual healing. This is what Jesus gave them – not only physical healing but moreso, encouragement & forgiveness, – not only healing of body but more so, healing & health of whole life of the cured paralytic & his friend.

    For the scribes, however, the whole miracle happened is a blasphemy. For the scribes, not only the physical healing of the paralytic but above all the forgiveness of sins are complete violation of their religious law. They saw more the violation rather than the miracle happened. Jesus admonished their actions & attitudes, & showed themselves & the crowd His authority beyond their religious laws. Healing & forgiveness are His’ because He is of God.

    And all of these happened because Jesus saw and knew their hearts. Jesus saw the faith of the paralytic & his friends. Jesus saw the evil thoughts and hearts of the scribes as well. Jesus knew their hearts. And Jesus knows the condition of our hearts as well. Our hearts are known to Him as well.

    A lot of things are happening in our lives nowadays. At the very surfaced level, lots of things going on, lots of pressures & stresses to cope with. We do have a lot on our plates – urgent pressing concerns. But what is the condition of our hearts? How are we deep inside ourselves? Like the scribes, at times, we do have our evil thought & bad hearts. Like the paralytic & his friends, many at times we do feel broken, hopeless, tired & confused with life nowadays.

    Be mindful then that the Lord knows how & where are hearts is. Our hearts are known to Him, for He sees what we deeply need at this time. Same way as he saw the faith of Abraham, He sees also our faith & our heart’s desire. He is with Us indeed, but also He is of God. He has the power & authority to respond for what we really need, – not only our urgent need but the heart’s desire of our whole person & life.

    Perhaps as we go through this day & this week, we ask & reflect on the condition of our hearts these days. What is happening in our hearts these days? We do believe our Lord wants us to be healthy & whole. What is he offering us these days? Encouragements, forgiveness, admonitions & guidance? How is he restoring us inwardly? How is he helping us to stand up tall & alive amidst life-challenges?

    Here we are now, Lord. We come to you as we are. You know our present concerns & our heart’s desire. We do believe in You & that You will what is best & better for us. Make us also see same way as You see us, so that may we be willingly participate with the miracle You are performing for us now & always. Amen.

  • INTERRUPTIONS INTO LIFE-GIVING ENCOUNTERS

    INTERRUPTIONS INTO LIFE-GIVING ENCOUNTERS

    June 27, 2021 – 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/062721.cfm)

    As this pandemic brought significant changes in our lifestyle and way of gathering, the online platform is now commonly used. However, I cannot help but get irritated of the many interruptions happening during our online seminars, recollections or meetings. A knock on my door, a telephone call or unnecessary noises in the background, or a participant who still struggle to use the online platform would get into my nerves. I get irritated by these interruptions.

    Speaking of interruptions, honestly, I hate it also when I am interrupted from my work. Yet, there were times also when some interruptions and disturbances turned into life-giving encounters that made me wonder and reflect deeper.

    I remember while I was busy with office works in our parish in Iloilo City, I was interrupted by a young lady brought by her father. This young lady was shaking and I thought she was having seizure. However, she became hysterical. Her eyes turned red and her finger nails were scratching the walls of my office. Her face showed fear and claimed that “they” were there around watching her. She seemed to see evil spirits that I could not see.

    I have to stop from what I was doing. If people would judge what was happening at that moment, certainly, they would say that it was a devil’s possession. The father actually thought that her daughter was possessed by the devil. If one would look at her, she really looked possessed. The father begged me to help his daughter. He did not know what to do with her anymore.

    I was terrified having encountered such case for the first time. Yet, when she calmed down, I ask the father to leave us in the office so that I can talk to her personally. I addressed her by her name but she just looked at me, fiercely. I asked her if she believed that God is with her. She responded with a big, NO! She did not believe that God is with her. She was filled with so much anger. She claimed that there were people haunting her. And they were there at that moment in my office.

    That was creepy! And so I asked her, who are they? She did not answer and seemed so fearful. I asked her again but with a different question, “Who are these people hurting you now?” There was a long pause from her and she began crying, with tears in her eyes she named them. The people who were hurting her was her mother who abandoned them when she was little, her father who was so controlling to her, her siblings who did not respect her, her classmates who bullied and shamed her. In her imagination these people who have hurt her, turned into evil spirits, haunting her day and night even when she’s asleep.

    She suffered so much trauma and pain from family and friends. She felt unloved and unaccepted.  She felt empty. She could not believe that there is God who loves her. She opened up and it was her first time to talk to someone and shared her pain and anger. It was when she was able to name those people who caused pain to her that she began also to relax. She began to understand her pain.

    I told her that her journey towards healing has begun. She won’t be haunted anymore and will not fear them because she already knew who they were. I assured her that I am her new friend whom she can trust.

    I told her too that we will pray together. So I asked her what she wanted to ask from God. She wanted peace, assurance of love and friendship, that the evils and her pain will go away and never come back. So together, we prayed for her intentions. Her tears were dripping while I was praying for her. After the prayer, I asked her, how are you now? Her response touched me very much, she said, “I feel, God is talking to me right now!”

    I myself have been touched by this encounter. It was not a mere encounter of a possessed lady but an encounter with a lady who suffered so much trauma and turned to be a person who found hope and love from a loving God.

    This interruption reminds me now of the Gospel today. Jesus was on his way going to a place when he was interrupted by an official of the synagogue. This man interrupted Jesus to beg him to heal his daughter. Yet, on his way to the house of the official, Jesus was again interrupted by another woman who touched the end of his cloak so that she may be healed from her sickness.

    This Sunday, Jesus is teaching us about these interruptions. When he was interrupted by the official and by that woman who suffered bleeding for 12 years, Jesus did not show an indifferent attitude to them. Jesus responded to them gracefully and generously. These interruptions actually turned into “life-giving encounters.”

    In the Gospel, it was not Jesus who touched first the sick. The father of the child, Jairus, called Jesus’ attention and Jesus was touched by that interruption. The sick woman also touched Jesus so that she may be healed. Jesus allowed them to touch him and that is why those interruptions became life-giving.

    My own encounter with that young lady taught me how powerful it is when we learn to stop for a person in need and discover how God works through us. This brings us now of Jesus’ invitation today and that is to be welcoming and to be life-giving in our many encounters with people, with our family members, relatives, friends and strangers. This calls us not to be indifferent with those who call for our care and attention, who seek our help and our presence. Like Jesus, when we are able to learn to stop and welcome interruptions, then we shall also discover how God unfolds His grace and healing power through us. This makes an interruption into a life-giving encounter. Hinaut pa.

  • Musta na? Howdy?

    Musta na? Howdy?

    June 27, 2021 – 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/062721.cfm)

    “O, Kamusta na? How are You? Are You Ok?”

    Usually whenever we meet each other, we greet one another with these words. Through these words, we commonly express our concern for each other’s health and wellbeing. We acknowledge as well that human as we are, we are all prone to hurts, diseases, and sicknesses. Even the healthiest of us live with fear of accidents and diseases that can suddenly render us limited on the sidelines. Nobody likes to get sick. But nobody can claim that he/she has never got sick before. Easy for us to say “Bawal magkasakit? (It is not allowed to get sick), but tayo ay nagkakasakit (we do get sick). Sickness cannot be denied. To get sick is part of our human nature. So, since we are subject to sickness, it is natural for us to ask about the health and wellbeing of others, especially those we have not seen for awhile.

    But what does it mean to be sick? Based from our experience, to be sick is more than just an experience of physical illness but a wide range of emotional, mental, psychological, and spiritual diseases and discomforts. Whenever we get sick, we become incapacitated. Normal for us to feel limited, dependent, depressed, irritable, helpless, and sometimes alienated or outcasted from God and others whenever we are sick. We know that it is not easy to get sick, especially when we are used to live our life independently and always in-control. Sickness is indeed a dreadful experience, as what was also described in our Gospel today.

    Our gospel today shows us as well that to be sick may be a horrible human experience but could also be opportunities for growth and a chance for life anew.

    First, sickness can be the opportunity to be converted. Jairus and the woman with hemorrhage came to Jesus. Coming to Jesus is an experience of conversion – a humble turning toward instead of turning away from Jesus. Whenever we get sick, we usually cease from our usual routine, go home and take a rest. It is in sickness that we break from our selfish ways and turn back towards God’s love and concern. Others would say that when we are sick, we desire and come to acknowledge God’s presence and appreciate God’s love in our lives. When we are healthy, we say, “Disco, Disco” but when sick, we say, “Dios ko, Dios ko”.

    Sickness can also be the opportunity to have faith and trust in God and others. Jairus begged to Jesus, “Please come lay your hands on her, that she may get well and live”. The woman aspired “If only I could touch his cloak, I shall be cured”.  To be helpless and dependent of others are not normal for us. We rather be in-control and not needing others. But to be sick is humbling for you really need and have to trust on others. In sickness, we surrender ourselves and humbly ask for God’s mercy and rely on God’s providence, and the help of others.

    Sickness can also be the opportunity to be cleansed and be healed by God. In sickness, we witness God’s mercy, love, goodness, and miracles working in us. That through our faith and Jesus’ concern for us, God’s power and love is made known to all. In our weakness and sickness, God’s power and glory is revealed to you & to all.

    Sickness can be also opportunity to hear once again & anew our vocation and mission life. When the woman was healed, Jesus calls her to “go in peace and be cured of your affliction” which means to be reconciled with herself and others who may have caused her afflictions. The girl is called to “arise” which mean to stand up from despair and have hope in life. Being healed from your sickness is a reminder that you are given another life – another new chance in life to make things right and better than before.

    And lastly sickness can be an opportunity to proclaim our faith. Just like the cured woman and girl, our healing from sickness makes us express and share our faith to others, and through our healing, others will see and witness God’s love revealed through us and come to believe more in Him. 

    To be sick then can be the opportunity to be converted, to have faith and trust in God, to be cleansed and be healed, to renew life-commitments and mission, and to proclaim our faith for others to believe.

    Yes, no one wants to get sick. But whenever you got sick, take it not as disgrace but opportunity for God’s glory to be revealed in You. In other words, “A blessing in disguise”. So, Kamusta na? How are you coping? Perhaps God is healing us & through us, God is revealing something better for all of us in life.

    During these pandemic times, in times of sickness, discomforts, & distress, let our prayer be like that of Jesus, saying: “Father, take this cup of suffering away from me, However, not my will, but Your will be Done.” Always & Forever.

    Siya Nawa. Hinaut pa unta. So be it. Amen.

  • OUR TOUCH IN THIS PANDEMIC

    OUR TOUCH IN THIS PANDEMIC

    June 25, 2020 – Friday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/062521.cfm)

    How many of us who found it hard to observe the “no touching” protocol from our medical experts? It must have been very difficult at the beginning. But some might have been used by now. And because of the daily infections, we are still advised to refrain from touching people or things. Touch only when it is necessary.

    Yet, naturally, we have been so used to touch. In expressing our affection we touch. When we give comfort to a friend or a person we love, we touch. When we greet a friend or even a stranger, we also touch. In our religious practices, we also touch. When we pray and ask the intercession of the saints, we touch their sacred statues or kiss the holy images of our Lord. However, with this pandemic we are all advised to refrain.

    Today, many are still being confined at home but much better compared the early months of covid. Our movements are still limited and our desire to meet our friends and loved ones are sometimes prohibited or limited.  For more than a year, we long for a human touch and long for human encounters. Thus, we could also understand the frustration that we feel because of this significant change in our life.

    With all of these, we also realize the importance of human touch and of human encounter. There is a healing power in human touch. It can give comfort to a bruised and fearful heart. It could heal a painful part of our body. It can give confidence and assurance of support, love and trust.

    And with this pandemic, limiting and prohibiting us to touch others, it surely brought more difficulties to those who were/are infected with this terrible disease. But, more than the virus, the depression, the loneliness, the desperation and helplessness, fear and anxiety would have definitely haunted them too. I have friends who asked for prayers for their loved ones infected by the virus and friends who themselves got infected and were isolated from their loved ones. Those whom they loved, parents, siblings or children were prevented to visit them. This created so much stress and longing. Yet, they cannot help it because of the danger of infecting those whom they love.

    These frustrations and longing to be touched or to have a human encounter is innate in us. Not being able to touch and be touched by the people whom we love would give us emptiness.

    This is the story we also heard from the Gospel. A leper was discriminated and was socially isolated because of his illness. But he came to Jesus. He asked for healing. Yet, that was totally against the culture and belief at that time. The community despised lepers and they were always driven out of the city. They should and never be near with anyone.

    Yet, he must have longed for an encounter with another human being who understands and shows compassion. In his desire to be touched, through Jesus, he too was touched by God.

    Jesus knew the longing of this leper. As the leper longed for human encounter, for acceptance, he also longed to be touched, to be loved. Against the culture and belief at that time, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him.

    The touch of Jesus made this leper clean and healed. Jesus’ touch assured him that God has not left him and that God loves him. Thus, this reminds us that our touch can be a form of loving, can be an expression of healing, of freedom.

    This is the invitation today. Though physically it is difficult these days to touch others, but at least make an effort to let those who need love and understanding be touched by our presence. Though we may not be able to caress the back of a friend for comfort, let those who are grieving and depressed, those who are in pain and lost, to be touched by the assurance of our friendship. Let those who are hungry and suffering in dire poverty be touched also by our generosity. Hinaut pa.