The Season of Lent invites us to be closer to God. As Christians, we are challenged by the Gospel today to make ourselves available and free for God and for others. There are three best practices that by tradition would make this desire of closeness with God and others to be possible.
First, PRAYER. It is an invitation to be closer to God by becoming more aware of His presence in our life. Prayer is not limited with expressing and blurting out what we need and want. Prayer is our way of relating, communicating and being intimate with God who is so good to us, faithful and loving to us despite our sinfulness and imperfections. Prayer brings us closer into God’s presence. It allows us to encounter Him makes us humble before God to recognize our own limitations and sinfulness. Moreover, when our prayer focuses on God rather than our personal wants and needs, the more we also see and know clearly who we are. Hence, awareness of God brings us into self-awareness.
In prayer, we do not have to use plenty of words. To sit in silence for few minutes and being aware of God’s tremendous presence in those very moments would also suffice and bring us into a greater consciousness of ourselves and of others.
Second, FASTING AND ABSTINENCE. When we become aware of God, then, it helps us to be more aware of ourselves. Fasting and abstinence, then, is an invitation to recognize our thoughts, habits, behaviors and attitudes that continually prevent us from becoming closer to God and to others. To fast and to abstain is not just limited with abstaining from pork and beef or to our comfort foods. These are forms of self-denial to help our heart and mind be freed from what chained us. Thus, it would be good to ask, what is it that I will make myself free in this Season of Lent, what vice shall I stop or regulate? What habit or attitude shall minimize? – So that in doing this, I will make myself available for others, more generous and kind.
Third, ALMSGIVING. The Lenten practice of almsgiving is a way of making ourselves generous to those who are in need. If prayer makes us aware of God and ourselves, and fasting and abstinence is to make ourselves free for others, almsgiving is to become LIFE-GIVING. Almsgiving is, therefore, not limited to giving few coins to a poor beggar or a spare of our resources, but to generously give what is dear and special from us. Hence, we allow ourselves to be a gift to others. What is it then that I can generously give to others from myself in this lent? Is it my time and wealth? It is my presence and comfort? My helping hand and listening ear? My understanding and love? My concern and honesty?
Hopefully, in giving ourselves, we too shall be able to encounter real faces of our brothers and sisters even in this time of pandemic. Such encounter will certainly allow us to recognize God’s presence, making ourselves freer, closer and available for God and for others. Hinaut pa.
Each of us is being influenced by many things and people around us. Sometimes, we may not be aware what really influences our thoughts and hearts because we are not aware of our environment. The popularity of the Social Media, of Facebook, YouTube and Instagram especially brought so much influence into our individual lives. These sites have reshaped cultures, social status, age, even beliefs and values.
However, when one is not also aware of the kind of influences that he or she is welcoming, those influences may bring the person into better or into worst. Moreover, even our own words, spoken or written, can also influence others to become better or to become worst. The rise of fake news entertained by many has been very damaging into our culture and relationships. People who are not aware of the sources and the credibility of the report, are being deceived and in effect brought more damaged to the community by spreading them.
Such is the warning that Jesus reminded to his disciples. The Lord firmly warned his friends, “Watch out, guard against the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” The leaven being used to make the dough to rise, was used as an image by Jesus to depict the silent but cunning influence of the Pharisees and of Herod. The passive yet indifferent, aggressive and oppressive attitudes of the Pharisees and of Herod can become alluring to people who tend to seek recognition and praise and those who tend to worship the powerful and the corrupt, the arrogant and the aggressive.
These tendencies were also present among the disciples. This was the reason why Jesus reminded them when they began to worry of having not enough bread with them. Even until that moment, they have not yet recognized that the Lord was with them and had already worked wonders by feeding thousands of people.
Today, like the disciples, the Lord also calls us to watch out of those distractions that may lead us away from the grace of God. God is working wonders in us and through us.
Thus, recognize today those wonders that God is doing to you. Let not our hearts be influenced by passivity, by indifference, by arrogance, by aggressiveness or by any fake news about God, about ourselves and about others. Rather, look always of those many wonders that God is doing in our lives. Be influenced by God’s grace in our sacraments. Be influenced by His words in the bible. Be influenced by the Holy Spirit. Hinaut pa.
Once we happened to be night driving from Sagada to Baguio City. As we were fast approaching the city at around three o’ clock in the morning, we got lost looking for traffic signs. We happened to see a police outpost & we asked the police: “Sir, where is the road going to Baguio?” And the police officer replied: “This is already Baguio.” We realized how foolish we are looking for signs that we missed what is obvious – that we are already in Baguio.
In our gospel today, the Pharisees try to test Jesus by asking for a sign from heaven. It seems they have missed a lot of signs & miracles already revealed, like the healings of people, casting out of demons, feeding of thousands, & countless of people following Jesus. Great things have been already happening in their presence but they still look for signs. They are yet to recognize God is in all things, already surrounding us with signs of His presence & love.
Somehow during these pandemic times, like the Pharisees, we may have found ourselves searching for a sign from heaven. We may have asked & looked where God in all these things going on & happening to us.
Be as it may. Jesus however said: “Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generations.” Beyond his frustration & exasperation, Jesus is telling us here that we don’t need anymore signs, for His presence is better enough than what we are looking & searching in life. All we have to do is just to look, recognize & believe in Him who is God’s way, will, & plan for us.
True indeed, we may concern & worry ourselves with signs, that we may have missed the obvious presence & blessing already upon us. Remember that God’s graces are not only about the blessings we ask & look for in life but moreso about Jesus, the source of our blessings already given us & have with us – better & beyond than what we ask for, though yet to be recognized & accepted into our lives.
So, stop looking for signs, rather, Start looking at Jesus.
In other words: “If you cannot sleep, stop counting sheep. Talk to the Shepherd.”
When it comes to giving and offering to God, do you take a clenched hand or an open hand?
We all have different attitude or take on the call of generosity. Some are loose and generous; others are tight and stingy. Some give from their surplus; others from the meager they have. Some give gladly, while others grudgingly.
Allow me to reflect on our first reading from the Book of Genesis, particularly because it has provided us two (2) models of giving to ponder on ourselves:
The first model is that of Abel. Abel is a shepherd, and he brings the best firstlings of his livestock and some fat as well and offer them to Lord;
The other model is that of Cain. Cain is a farmer, who brings the fruits of the soil as an offering to Lord.
Now let us pay close attention to the Lord’s response to their individual offerings? “Now Yahweh was well pleased – ‘looked with favor’ – on Abel and his offering, but towards Cain and his offering he showed no pleasure.”
What’s wrong? What’s the difference?
Yes, both have offered to the Lord. However the Lord was so pleased or delighted with Abel and his sacrificial offering because Abel did the right thing by giving or offering what the Lord so deserved. He gave the best and choiced portions of his produced. Not the surplus nor the least.
But with Cain, the Lord was displeased because Cain was very reluctant in offering what was due to the Lord.
Today, God has given us one of the secrets of living a blessed and full life, that is by way of giving God generously: from the best and the choiced portion of our produce. For He is able to multiply our blessings beyond human estimation.
And so, when it’s time to give, “Let not your hand be open to receive and clenched when it is time to give. (Sir. 4:31.)”
When I was on my first year college in the seminary in Cebu, I met Nanay Elisabeth, an old lady, sick with leprosy. Despite her illness she was very welcoming. She was in fact the most talkative in their ward. Like a Nanay, she was very affectionate to us seminarians. I usually would come to visit the ward where Nanay Elizabeth was on Saturday afternoons to mingle with leprosy patients and make friends with them.
The many visits I made formed friendship with them and especially to Nanay Elizabeth who always would offer her leprosy-infected-hand, but healed, for us seminarians to receive her blessing. In one of those visits, Nanay Elizabeth shared her life story which touched me very much.
Due to her illness, she never got married. Life was so difficult because she was poor. In her younger years, she was into scavenging garbage in Cebu. One early morning, as she approached a garbage bin to collect recyclable materials she found something. She actually found “someone” inside the garbage bin that others might have thought, was a trash.
Nanay Elisabeth found a newly born baby girl in that garbage bin. She named her Nancy. Nancy, perhaps, a reason why she was thrown away was because Baby Nancy had a cerebral palsy. Nancy was sick and in the minds of many, they might have believed that she was a cursed baby and useless. But what was more heartwarming there, was Nanay Elisabeth’s unconditional love for the baby. The baby was unwanted but for this young woman, Elisabeth, all her love and affection were for Nancy. She brought Nancy home and did all her best to let Nancy feel that she was loved and treasured.
However, when the signs of leprosy began to appear to Nanay Elizabeth, that became a painful part of her life because she had to leave Nancy to a group of Religious Sisters while she had to be in the leprosarium to be treated. Nanay Elizabeth’s heart ached daily because she longed to see Nancy.
With some of my classmates, we went to that center where Nancy was, visited her and took pictures of her so that Nanay Elizabeth would have a glimpse of her daughter.
This is a story and an encounter that proves kindness and love in the human heart that values human life and worth despite its seemingly ugliness. It tells us that no matter how poor we are, wounded or imperfect we are in the eyes of many – we can give life to others by touching the lives of those who need most of our love and kindness.
This brings me into the story of the Gospel. A leper found love and kindness in Jesus. In the Biblical times, a leper was nobody. A person who has leprosy is removed from the community. It means that the person is forced to leave from the comfort and presence of friends, family and relatives.
The Jews at that time believed that leprosy was an ultimate punishment for sin. A leper was considered a terrible sinner punished by God and thus unclean, unworthy and worthless person. This became a form of treating a leper as less than human or not human at all.
Jews would avoid them at all times. This is what we find in the Book of Leviticus that prescribed on what to do with lepers. They are to stay outside the camp, that is, outside from the daily affairs of his/her family and community. A leper has to make known himself by shouting, “Unclean! Unclean!” to warn the people of his presence. Everybody will never get near and come close to a leper for fear of being infected and worst of being considered as unclean too. Though there was a medical explanation for this, as isolation of the infected will protect the community. However, later on, this also fostered a culture of indifference and discrimination to the sick.
Yet, our Gospel conveys to us a shocking and moving turn of events. A leper should never get near to a Jew and a Jew should also immediately avoid any contact with a leper. But then, it was so shocking for all the Jews to see a leper coming closer to Jesus asking the Lord to cure him. What was more surprising there was the gesture of Jesus towards the leper. Jesus touched the leper!
The Lord touched a worthless person, an unclean and less human leper. And when that touch of Jesus happened, it destroyed the wall of indifference among the Jews towards the poor leper. The touch of Jesus assured the leper that he was not worthless at all, that he was not less human but, he was loved and cherished by the Lord who longed to see him joyful and healed.
Jesus was moved to touch the leper because the Lord looked with pity on him. This feeling of pity described in the Gospel is not a “shallow feeling” that we usually have when we see a beggar or a person with difficulty, and we feel pity for him/her, but then we go along with our life and forget about the person. No, it is not that way. What Jesus felt was true pity where he too felt the sorrow and pain of the leper. In fact, Jesus was so distressed and disappointed to see the situation of the leper. This moved him to do something, and that is, to touch the leper in order to cleanse him. By doing that, Jesus broke the barriers of disgust, shame and fear that prevented the leper to be accepted by the community. Jesus changed those negative feelings and indifference with kindness and love.
This is how the Lord calls us on this day of Feb-IBIG, on this day of love, that we too will recognize persons in our community today who have been left out, abandoned and disgusted by many, so that, like Jesus we may also be able to touch them and show kindness and love.
As we remember and celebrate today what love can do, let that love in us also counter the growing indifference towards those whom our society identifies as worthless, useless and less human. To counter such injustice and indifference, never ever treat anybody as less human or useless because of their imperfection, because of their sickness or because of their failures in life.
Let us also not forget that each of us has our own leprosy, imperfections and sins that would qualify us as unclean before God. However, God showed pity upon us and became human like us so that Jesus may touch us to heal us.
Let us now share to our families and communities the touch of God that we have experienced so that like Nanay Elizabeth who despite her own situation, we too may be able to give life to those who need it, to give joy to those who are sad, and to give hope to those who are hopeless. Hinaut pa.
A DOSE OF GOD TODAY 