Why the need to ask when the Father knows what we need?
There is a need for us to identify and recognize what we truly need. To be able to see our own realities will bring us closer into humility. This helps us to also own our imperfections and failures, our issues and problems. Then, once we have become aware of our needs and true concerns, we are also able to name the grace that we need.
This has been presented to us in both readings from the letter of Paul and the Gospel. Let us see them a bit.
In the letter of Paul, we find him as if scolding the Corinthians because of their situation. Many have become confused because of the acceptance of the Corinthians of other preachers. They seemed to preach the Gospel of Christ but they only brought the people far away from the true Gospel. The “super-apostles” whom Paul called made preaching a profitable career. What they were after was not the Gospel but personal gain. Though he may have sounded angry in his letter, but his love for this Church was greater. He exhorted them to listen well and seek the will of God for them.
Paul was making them aware of their situation and making them see the problem. Only in recognizing the problem that we will be able to respond accordingly. Thus, it is only when we also become aware of our true needs that we will be able to ask the grace from the Lord.
The Gospel today leads us into this kind of response. Jesus taught his disciples on how to truly ask the Father and pray sincerely. Jesus also warned the disciples not to babble but of empty words meant to only impress people.
This means that our prayers and other forms of devotions are not meant also to impress others or to flatter or manipulate the Lord because of our long, wordy and unintelligible prayers. What the Lord wants from us is our sincere and humble hearts.
The Lord’s Prayer brings us into sincerity and humility because it acknowledges first God, our Father whose “divine will” takes priority than our own. Thus, we seek and recognize the will of God for us and not our wants. This brings us to be more aware of our needs of the present moment, of today, and not to be burdened by our past or to be anxious of tomorrow.
Indeed, the Jesus invites us and teaches us on how to seek God’s desires for us because God knows what is best for us by praying the way he prays. May this simple but powerful prayer of our Lord gives us more confidence in the presence of God dwelling among us whose only desire is the best for us. Hinaut pa.
When the Parish Mission in Balabagan, Lanao del Sur was being planned, our major concern was not on security because it’s a Muslim majority community and not because of restrictions of the health protocols. These were given situations already and necessary measures were already conceptualized. The major concern was, who will be part of the mission team? As a matter of fact, there were only two young Redemptorist Priests and one seasoned Lay Missionary and the possible participation of three seminarians. Yet, this number was not enough.
In order to respond to this major concern, we need the presence of Youth-Mission Volunteers. Why the young people? The young can easily adapt and mostly characterized by their readiness to learn and unlearn.
A photo after the Thanksgiving Mass at Our Mother of Perpetual Help Chapel, Purakan, Balabagan, LdS.
We have expected to have two or three Youth-Mission Volunteers. However, as soon as we have started the Parish Mission, we got two full time, two semi-full time and 2 part time Youth-Mission Volunteers. We have a total of six. This was more than enough.
Mimi
Of the six, we have Mimi, a teacher by profession. She resigned from her online teaching career few weeks before the mission began. Mimi is an active member of our Redemptorist Youth Ministry who is already serving and assisting RYM-Iligan during her free time.
Pearllyn
There was Pearllyn, known to many as La Ling. She’s a Tourism graduate, a choir leader, half Meranaw – half Christian and speaks Meranaw fluently. Herself and Mimi were our fulltime volunteers and the princesses of the team.
We have Charles, a college student and an incoming college seminarian of the Prelature of Marawi. He’s quite shy but bright, sensitive to the needs of the team and dependable. With him was Darwin, also a college student, who became a family decision-maker. He’s confident, and intelligent whose potentials and talents are about to be discovered. Both of them were our semi-fulltime volunteers. Though they were expected to join us on weekends after their online and modular classes but have been with us most of the time. This did not affect their studies though, but was able to manage their time well.
Charles, Sir John, Jom, Sir Jeorge and Darwin after the Rite of Commissioning of the four at the chapel of San Isidro Labrador Parish.
We also have with us two teachers. Sir Jeorge is an elementary teacher. He’s an in-demand teacher by the parents because of the quality of teaching he gives to his pupils. He’s gifted with patience and big amount of understanding. There was Sir John too, a friend during my novitiate year. He’s a former seminarian of the Missionaries of Jesus and now a Senior High School Teacher.
The 3-month Parish Mission would not be possible, lively and fruitful without the presence of these six gifted, talented and self-sacrificing Youth-Mission Volunteers. Each of them gave not just the best in them but the whole of their being for this mission.
Thus, being with them gave me such three wonderful experiences which I would like to emphasize.
First, it was a fun-filled experience being with these guys. Our group-study sessions, dishwashing and cooking assignments, practices and module simulations were filled with laughter. We always found the brighter side of our work and of our ministry. We were not only limited to giving sessions and prayer meetings and sacraments to the people, we have also spent time together picking young ferns for salad, digging sweet potatoes, opening up coconuts, eating, playing, swimming, singing and acting.
Second, it was a spirit-filled experience being with them. We know that the spirit brings creativity, freshness and youthfulness. There was so much creativity shared and being discovered even from the altar decorations to the presentation of modules and delivery of the talks. The very presence of these Youth-Mission Volunteers brings that freshness and youthfulness in the mission.
Third, it was a God-filled experience being among them. The mission itself with the presence of the people and of these Youth-Mission Volunteers, these were the very opportunities for me to encounter God. “God is young; He is always new”, as Pope Francis said. Even despite our limitations and imperfections, God makes wonderful things out of us. This was what I have witnessed being among the Youth-Mission Volunteers because of the desire for change, for spontaneity and for life.
Out of these fulfilling experiences, there are two lessons that I have learned as a missionary priest and as a youth minister.
First, to allow the young to speak and to speak their mind and their heart. This gives a space for the young to be creative, initiative and sensitive to his and her surrounding and community. Their thoughts and ideas, no matter how naive, lacking and limited, but those are ways to expand their horizon and discover more about themselves and others.
Second, to learn with them and to become a co-learner with them. This does not diminish the direction of a team leader but it rather enhances the process of learning and unlearning things. This helps one another to slowly unravel each gifts and talents, affirm and correct one another.
As the national election is coming, we can even see now of tarpaulins, photos and videos of aspiring candidates posting their best quotes, achievements, and helping-hand photo opts. Are they doing these as sincere actions to serve the country selflessly without any intention to advance their personal agenda? Maybe yes or maybe not.
However, publishing ones achievements and good works can become self-serving especially if the intention is for our personal interest. In such manner, the object of our good works would only become instruments to seek praise and recognition from people. This is not a true act of generosity and service then, but comes from a heart filled with insecurity and selfishness.
The action of seeking praise and recognition reminds me of today’s Gospel and on how Jesus brought to our awareness the tendency to be image-conscious but insecure.
Jesus reminds his disciples not to become hypocrites who merely wanted to win the praise of others. Jesus criticized people who showed such attitude because of their growing indifference to the poor but swelling self-centeredness. By seeking attention from people, their vain and explicit forms of devotion were totally a mere show for people to see. They wanted people to praise them, to recognize how good, religious and respectable they were. They were seeking fame and power over the people yet, they became hungry for attention. It was as if their good and best self-image was all that matters. Hence, they became pompous and arrogant.
We might not be far from this. We have to be careful when we become anxious and insecure of ourselves. These attitudes will make us image-conscious and we will tend to keep things for ourselves alone. This will make us vain, arrogant, pretentious and selfish who only gives to gain more.
That is why, St. Paul in his second letter to the Corinthians, reminds the Christians to be generous enough. St. Paul writes, “whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” This attitude of generosity comes from the confidence in God who is first generous to us. God’s generosity abounds and endures forever.
Growing in that confidence makes us more secured and assured on what we have today and at this very moment. This is the very spirit that dwell in a cheerful giver that St. Paul tells us in his letter. Indeed, God loves a cheerful giver because God sees Himself in the person. God is the first one who cheerfully gives graces to us. And when we also learn that kind of attitude in God, then, God sees Himself in us.
Certainly, when we also realize how blessed we are, that we too grow in our gratitude to the Lord. It is essential for us to accept and appreciate the graces given to us. They may include not just the material things that we possessed but also our relationships, people who are there to love and support us, the gift of our person, our talents and abilities.
Jesus invites us today that as we recognize truly the good things in us and the blessings that we have, we are called to expressed freely and generously what we have received. No need for boasting the good that we have done because the Father sees everything and is delighted with us.
In this way, we avoid the tendency to be self-serving and greedy, who would always seek for more attention, recognition, praise, and entitlements from others. This will keep us away from becoming the unhappiest person for being a hypocrite.
Hopefully, through this invitation, it will mold us to become grateful persons and cheerful givers, loved by the Lord. May our generosity express the cheerfulness in giving and in sharing our life. Hinaut pa.
About mid-morning, our sub-team loaded our mission vehicle with 12 pieces of plywood to be delivered to Barrio Bakikis. This was a village in the Municipality of Kapatagan, Lanao del Sur but still part of the Parish of San Isidro Labrador in Balabagan. From the Parish Church, the Barrio was about 8 kilometers with a shallow but wide river to cross.
It was raining the night before but when we have reached the river, it was still shallow and the water was clear, enough for us to see the sand below. We have to cross the river again, we did it many times before this. Yet, ahead of us was a big truck loaded with sacks of cement already stuck and buried in the sand.
I wanted to take the risk. To make sure of it, I asked Darwin, our local-youth mission volunteer to check the level of the water. The water was below the knee. It was very shallow. So, I took the risk and took the right side of the already-stuck-and-buried truck. I was confident then, our mission vehicle is a four-wheel drive. I engaged the gear and drove.
To my horror, our mission vehicle began to slow down once it was fully in the river. I felt the sand below was soft but deep. It was like mud. My confidence fell down and I knew at that moment, there will be two vehicles stuck in the sand of that river. No matter how I stepped on the gas, the tires got more buried in the sand. I had to stop then, and prepared to get wet.
It was sunny and the heat was scorching. It was still mid-morning and the rain would usually come late in the afternoon. Yet, I noticed, the longer I stood in the sand, my feet were slowly buried. I realized, the tires of our mission vehicle as well as of that big truck, were slowly being buried into the sand.
I was very worried and blamed myself for being so confident. People along the river watched us but no one dared to help us, at least not yet at that moment.
A Christian who recognized me as the new priest, crossed the river with his motorcycle. He volunteered to get help from Barrio Bakikis. He noticed that there were strong and well-built men along the river, but expressed his dismay that they will not be able to help us. They were Mëranaw, an Islamized Indigenous group of people in Mindanao. It was their Holy Ramadhan and they must have been fasting. They could not help us and not willing to help us this time. “They do not have the strength,” he said. This was understandable. I can only blame myself. The man went with Jenel, our postulant to call for a rescue.
Yet, it was almost an hour, no rescue arrived. The tires were slowly buried in the sand. I became more worried and anxious. Several small and four-wheeled cars have crossed the river already and offered us no help.
However, something inspiring happened. It began with a young man, he was a Mëranaw, who tried to cross the river with his motorcycle from our side but got stuck too in the middle.
Immediately, Mimi and Pearllyn, our lady-youth mission volunteers offered help to him. The three of them pushed the motorcycle. But to the disappointment of the man, who did not understand Cebuano, his motor got more buried in the sand. I came and help them too. The only way to rescue it, was by carrying it. And so we carried the motor with all our strength. It was not that big but it was really heavy. Finally, he was able to cross the river.
To my surprise, he did not go ahead to his destination. He left his motorcycle in dry land and secured it and went back to us. By that time, few men arrived from Barrio Bakikis to help us but they were not enough. The young Mëranaw joined with us and lo and behold, other Mëranaw who were merely watching earlier joined us in the river. The young Mëranaw personally tied the rope and led in pulling our vehicle. Another Mëranaw man volunteered to maneuver our car. Others were at the back to help in pushing and others also were lining up with the rope to pull.
Simultaneously, the car engine kicked then together we pushed and pulled. We did that in three attempts until we have secured the mission car out of the river. There were more than 20 men who pushed and pulled our mission vehicle, both Muslim-Mëranaws and Christians. Everybody was delighted and everyone shared a victorious smile.
(Once our vehicle was secured, we also tried to do the same to that big truck. Yet, it was just too heavy and our number was not enough. We tried the same process for a few times, but no luck at all. All we could do was contact a bigger truck to pull it back into the dry land. Later, I was informed that the heavy truck was rescued late-afternoon just before it rained again.)
I realized, it was indeed, a wonderful sight. Not just because our mission car was rescued finally but I saw a rare event where kindness was overflowing like the river at that moment.
I realized, kindness can cross barriers, boundaries and differences may it be in our language, culture and faith tradition. Our team experienced kindness from people we did not expect. Indeed, kindness from strangers is inspiring and infectious. As kindness inspires and moves people, kindness also touches our heart and soul. Thus, kindness itself is like a river. It freely flows and flows abundantly.
From this moving and inspiring experience while being stuck in the river, there are two invitations that we can always remember.
First. Be kind to everyone even to strangers. To be able to express our kindness to a person in need of help reveals our innate goodness. This makes us more human.
Second. Let our kindness flow and see how it inspires others and brings changes into our heart and mind. Kindness is not a calculated act of charity and does not even count the cost. It does not expect anything in return because kindness is an expression of a truly generous and happy person.
The Small Christian Community in Barrio Bakikis. The first two photos were during the Thanksgiving Mass, end of the 3-month long mission. The last photo was during the BEC (Basic Ecclesial Community) re-orientation.
Why do people who tend to complain a lot, find life miserable? Why do people who love to keep things only for themselves always feel unsatisfied?
When we tend to complain a lot then we only see the ugly, the mistakes, the failures and the not so nice in life . We find life miserable because we believe that life is so unfair to us. Hence, no matter how provided we are by our parents, or no matter how much wealth we have possessed, and no matter how many achievements we have succeeded, when we only see the ugly in us and in others, life will be miserable.
When we also keep things for ourselves only, then, this tells us how insecure we have become. We shall only recognize what we do not have and do not see what we already have. Thus, we will always feel unsatisfied because our tendency to keep things for ourselves will remove us from the confidence of being graced and being gifted.
If we have developed one or these two attitudes, then, we are missing many things in life. St. Paul in his second letter to the Corinthians recounts to us today the grace of God received in the churches of Macedonia. Macedonia, a Greek territory, had been subjected to many trials and affliction. However, Paul recognized that despite those and their profound poverty, the Christians in Macedonia were filled with abundant joy. Within that joy was an overflowing wealth of generosity on their part.
Paul happily tells us that through their joy expressed by their generous heart, then, they offered their lives to the Lord and to the Apostles for the sake of the Gospel.
Such wealth of generosity has been my experience in a small Christian community in Talisay, Balabagan, LdS during our 3-month long mission.
Such attitude by the first Christians in Macedonia tells us today that we can remain contented, happy and filled with joy in life despite the afflictions, the poverty and the sickness that we are suffering at this moment. This was the spirit behind the Macedonians because they recognized and were fully aware of the grace of God in their life.
They very presence of the Apostles and the gift of faith were enough reasons of becoming conscious and confident in God’s loving and faithful presence. Consequently, that joy in their heart made them generous. Despite their poverty, there was an overflowing wealth of generosity, an expression of true joy.
This is God’s invitation for us today. We are called to become more conscious of God’s grace, of God’s loving and faithful presence to us. In that awareness, we may grow in our confidence with God and be filled with joy in our heart even when we are suffering and poor. May it lead us to become generous in our words and actions even to the extent of loving our enemies and praying for those who have hurt us, persecuted us and insulted us for the sake of their conversion and peace. Hinaut pa.
A DOSE OF GOD TODAY 