God loves surprises and loves to surprise us in a very special way. The Gospel proclaimed to us today is certainly not just limited in God’s final judgment and delivering punishment for those who are wicked and rewarding the righteous. The Gospel invites us also to be more attentive of God’s surprise visits.
God comes and reveals the Divine Presence to us in the way we would not expect it to be. St. Paul in his letter to the Ephesians gave us the hint on how he experienced such a surprise from Jesus. The Lord revealed himself to Paul on the road to Damascus when he was in search of Christians to persecute. That surprise from Jesus changed the whole life of Paul. It was in that surprise that Paul truly encountered the Lord and was converted to Jesus. That encounter and the revelation Paul received was the grace that he shared with others. Paul expressed it this way, “of this I became a minister by the gift of God’s grace” because the mystery of God was made known to him by revelation.
This is the invitation for us today. We are called to be attentive and to make ourselves available to the many surprise visits and revelations of God. We need the eyes of faith to believe in the God of surprises.
God may call us to serve and love Him in the way we have never thought about or to do something which was unthinkable before. God may reveal His presence to us in the most ordinary ways and to ordinary persons who are already familiar to us. The Lord may tell us something and reveal his wondrous presence in our life through the work we do or through the responsibilities we have at home. God may answer our prayer through the help and generosity of an unexpected friend or even through a stranger. God may bring us joy through a simple gift from a person we love or through reconciliation and peace offered to us by the person we have hurt or those who have hurt us.
There are many possibilities for God’s surprise visits. Allow, then, the Lord to surprise us today. It would be very good to grasp and grab those surprises from God. Having those experiences will make us confident in our relationship with God.
It would be good for us then also, to spend a time of recollection or of silence each day even in a short moment of 5 to 10 minutes before bedtime. Spend this time to recollect on how God has given us the grace of surprise visit during the day. Thank the Lord for the grace and never forget to share your grace also to others so that we too shall be God’s surprise for other people. Kabay pa.
As I was recuperating from allergic rhinitis, I asked myself: “What is this telling me?” I then realized that I was in the verge of breaking down, feeling burnt out and overwhelmed with work. Dealing with difficult personalities, ever increasing demands, tight deadlines left me feeling worried and drained. Hence, I needed to acknowledge that I was indeed tired, and in need to take a PAUSE and claim my rest.
To those who are struggling at work, let me share my personal coping strategies which you can also employ to reduce stress in your workplace.
Identify a trusted person whom you can vent out. Someone who is a good listener; not to “fix” your problem or concern but help you let your negative emotions off your chest. This may be a family member, a close friend or an office mate. God will surely send someone to be your sounding board.
Pause, Pray and Let go of Chaos. Prayer has been my favorite coping strategy. During times of unrest, fear, anger or sadness, prayer has been my strongest weapon. It calms me down after asking God to bless me with INNER PEACE. After all, our best self – best work emerges when we are at peace. When we perform our work out of anger, sense of urgency or fear, we will not accomplish them any sooner or better. Furthermore, God is gracious and faithful to everyone – to all of us. I have experienced HIS/HER loving care and sustaining grace for the past 51 years of my life. With this, I am sure God will be with me for the rest of my life. All I have to do is to nourish my friendship with Jesus through prayer.
Listen to your body. When you are not yourself, something is not right. Our ailments have a lot to tell us. So, stop if you are tired. Go to the toilet if you need to. Eat when you are hungry. Get a drink when you are thirsty. Plan your breaks. At times, due to my sense of urgency, I tend to ignore my physiological needs – sitting for hours just to get my task done. This is causing me some back pains and Urinary Tract Infection (UTI). Therefore, I need to RELAX. Take one task at a time, one day at a time.
Learn to FORGIVE yourself and others who are causing you some heart aches at work. This is easier said than done but it is possible. It is so difficult to deal with various personalities in the work place. I myself have been belittled and harassed in one way or another. Yet, I decided to forgive these people for my own peace and sanity. I have learned to forgive myself first and learn from my own mistakes and failures.
Create a balanced life. Never neglect any aspect of it. Lest you will be overworked. Schedule some form of relaxation with your family and friends. This will help you maintain your physical and emotional well-being.
Learn to say no – establish healthy boundaries. Take only what you can chew. Do not over-commit yourself.
I hope and pray that my personal way of coping with stress will be of help to you. Stay tuned for more reflections and practical tips. Do anything to take good care of yourself for you matter.
Miss Baby Rose is also a Volunteer Pastoral Counselor at St. Clement’s Pastoral Care and Counseling Ministry of St. Clement’s Church, Our Mother of Perpetual Help Parish, Lapaz, Iloilo City.
We, as Church today, owe a lot to the evangelist, St. Luke. The Gospel according to him and the Acts of the Apostles which is also believe to have come from the tradition of Luke were two great accounts that tell us more about Jesus, his ministry and the early life of the first Christians.
It is through St. Luke’s account that we have today a lively, heartwarming and inspiring characters of Jesus as described to us in the Gospel. Luke particularly emphasized the character of Jesus that showed compassion and mercy to the sinners, to those who suffer not just of physical and spiritual illness but also those who were subjected to public humiliation and indifference. This is how the poor, the oppressed and the less fortunate were given special attention by Luke.
Thus, as we celebrate the feast of St. Luke today, there are things in his holy life that we can learn today and that serve as the invitations for us to grow in our Christian faith.
Luke as healer. Luke is the patron of physicians and surgeons since Luke himself was a doctor or a healer. Though it was believed that Luke was actually a slave, but it was common at that time that even slaves were given the opportunity to learn medicine in order to serve the family of their masters. Luke learned well the art of healing that when he was graced with faith, he too continued his gift of healing to people. Indeed, Luke allowed the Lord to make him an instrument of healing. This is depicted in the many healing stories that Luke emphasized in the Gospel because Luke can relate well how healing help people to live life fully.
Luke as a faithful friend. Paul in his Second Letter to Timothy confessed that many of his friends had deserted him. Only Luke remained at his side to which Paul was very grateful. Luke, despite the many challenges he and Paul experienced remained at the side of the Apostle to assist him in the mission of preaching the Gospel and brining the presence of Christ to the Gentiles. Luke was a Gentile himself, a Greek from Antioch, Syria and was converted to Christ. Luke lived his life to the full and living it at the service of the Gospel with Paul. This was how Luke proved his faithfulness to Christ by being a faithful friend and companion of Paul.
Luke as a preacher. Luke was also well-educated in classical Greek. This was the reason why we have the Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles. Luke communicated well the story of Jesus to his audiences with the intention to bring more people closer to Jesus by knowing him, his mission and his very life even though he did not meet Jesus personally. In fact, Luke saw the life and mission of our Lord Jesus as God’s visitation to us. This is evident at how the Gospel contains stories of visitations like that of Gabriel to Mary, the visit of Mary to Elizabeth, of Jesus to Zacchaeus’ house, etc. In today’s Gospel passage Jesus also sent 72 disciples to every town and place he intended to visit. In this way, Luke through his writings bring us closer to Jesus who comes to visit us as he too was being visited by the Lord.
Hence, on this feast of St. Luke, we too are called to become agents of healing into our homes and communities. We too are called to become a friend who shall be able to give assurance and confidence to friends who felt alone, afraid and lonely. And lastly, to be a preacher of God’s visitations by actively sharing our God-experiences so that we may be able to bring others closer and intimately to Jesus. Kabay pa.
The XXVI General Chapter of the Redemptorists recently concluded its deliberations on October 7, 2022 after it convened on September 11 in Rome. Three statements were given during and after the Chapter which should make us Filipino Redemptorists reflect on where we are today and the challenges we face in the future which we should face squarely during our incoming Provincial Chapters.
First was that of Pope Francis. On the first of October, Pope Francis addressed the delegates and he offered to them these words of inspiration and exhortation:
“Do not be afraid to tread new paths, to dialogue with the world, in the light of your rich tradition of moral theology. Do not be afraid to get your hands dirty in the service of those most in need and of the people who do not count…
In your Constitutions there is a very fine expression, where it says that the Redemptorists are available to face any trial to bring Christ’s redemption to all. Availability. Let us not take this word for granted! It means giving oneself entirely to the mission, with all one’s heart, dies impendere pro redemptis, unto the final consequences, with a gaze fixed on Jesus.
The Church and consecrated life are living a unique historical moment, in which they have the possibility of renewing themselves to respond with creative fidelity to the mission of Christ. This renewal passes through a process of conversion of the heart and mind, of intense metanoia, and also through a change of structures. At times we need to break the old pots, inherited from our traditions, which have carried a great deal of water but have now fulfilled their purpose. And breaking our pots, full of affections, of cultural customs, of histories, is not an easy task; it is painful, but it is necessary if we want to drink the new water that comes from the wellspring of the Holy Spirit, the source of all renewal.”
After reading his statement, he had an impromptu address in which he said:
Photo from http://www.catholicnewsworld.com/
“I was struck by a phrase your group said: ‘Leave your comfort zones and go out on the mission.’ I wonder, what are the comfort zones that a congregation has, that a province has, that a community has and that each one of us has? Ask yourselves that question, because it was said that each person accommodates the vows as he pleases. And so, you can practice poverty with a bank account, you can practice chastity with a companion, and you can practice obedience by talking and deciding what you want. These are very distorted forms. But the one that always produces a distortion in the three vows is comfort. That is where the evil comes in, in trying to be comfortable, to be at ease, to live a bourgeois life, without going out, and going out on the mission…Each one of us must analyze our own temptation to be comfortable. We all have that temptation; we all face that temptation.”
From such statements, clearly Pope Francis is exhorting all of us to reflect on where we are today in terms of our mission and lifestyle and to be engaged missionaries truly immersed among “those in need and the people who do not count.”
Second was the statement of Fr. Rogerio Gomez CSsR, our new Superior General who sent this to the Union of Redemptorists of Brazil on October 12. While this statement is meant for his confreres in Brazil, it might as well be addressed to all of us Redemptorists, for in the document, he highlights the complex and challenging times in which we live and asks for courage from all of us:
“We are experiencing a phenomenon to which we must be very attentive: the erosion of democracy, the use of religion to manipulate reality and to impose fear and exclusion on the poor. This reality should make us think. We must be wise as children of light,’ says one of the excerpts from the letter.
The spread of fake news can be related to the sin against the eighth commandment: ‘Thou shalt not bear false witness!’ It is an enormous disservice to the truth.”
“How can we believe in the true God and defend weapons, persecute traditional religions, destroy Mother Nature, and not invest in public health, education, science and social policies for the benefit of the poorest and the country’s development? How can we believe in the motto ‘the truth that sets us free’ (Jn 8:32)? However, we live with the flood of lies that deceive people and create reality.
How is it possible to speak out against abortion yet advocate the death of blacks, indigenous people, homosexuals, and women, the death penalty, cover up domestic violence, reaffirm machismo, promote prejudice against northerners and minorities, and cause social mistreatment? The teaching of the Church is evident in affirming ‘the inviolability and dignity of life from conception to natural death (JPII Evangelium vitae, 2)’.”
Third is the recent letter of Fr. Gomez to all Redemptorists around the world, issued on the Feast of St. Gerard last October 16 addressed to everyone in the congregation from superiors to Council members, Secretariats to Formation Teams, professed and lay missionaries and even the formandi. In this letter he affirms the important role of the Brothers in the congregation, but is in crisis owing to lack of promotion and attention and calling on everyone to find creative ways to recruit and form Brothers to reverse the present reality of their dwindling numbers.
All these are framed within the call for the coming sexennium, namely that we all strive to be missionaries of hope in the footsteps of the Redeemer. There are many reasons why sometimes we feel discouraged owing to the sad global realities (the impact of climate change, the repercussions of the pandemic, wars and conflicts, consumerism, secularism, individualism, etc.), the national situation (return of dictatorship, unchecked corruption, patronage politics, inflation, rising prices, etc.) and even dynamics within our own congregation.
But we are supposed to be children of the light, filled with hope that God never abandons His people. However, that hope can only be nurtured if – through following in Jesus’ footsteps – we are truly able to witness to plentiful redemption which is reflected in our faithfulness to the mission of serving the most abandoned, and sharing a community life lived not in affluent comfort but following the model of Jesus and his disciples.
We pray that the Provincial Chapters that will be unfolding in our two units would lead us to the path earlier taken by St. Alphonsus, St. Clement, St. Gerard and all our confreres who through the years since we were founded followed in the Redeemer’s footsteps!
This is who we are – UNDERSERVING yet we are graced and loved by God who would do everything to liberate and empower us from whatever that is preventing us to live life to the full. This is how Paul captured such image of ours before God in his letter to the Ephesians, “you were dead in your transgressions and sins… but God who is rich in mercy, because of the great love he had for us… brought us to life with Christ (by grace you have been saved).”
Let us become more conscious of this and claim such grace from the Lord. This act is indeed God’s initiative, out of that great love we are shown mercy and brought to life. We realize how each of us matters in God even though we are not deserving in anyway. Paul further tells us, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so no one may boast.”
Yes, it is a sheer gift of God! A gift that offers us freedom and peace, reconciliation and the fullness of life with Christ.
This is how we also understand the parable of Jesus in today’s Gospel from Luke. Jesus did not condemn people who are rich materially. The warning of Jesus is directed towards a heart that has become dependent on possessions to the point that greed consumes the person. Total dependence on material possessions or whatever possessions we may have or “things that possessed us,” lead our hearts to greed. Greed keeps us away from others and from God because it worships not the Lord but something and someone else. Greed corrupts the hearts and destroys our relationships.
This makes any person to be distanced from the grace of God, away from the company of true friendship and love from the community because the person grows to be vicious and self-centered. This is what the Lord wants anyone to be free from. When we become dependent and totally occupied by something else rather than by our relationship with God and with one another, then, we become prisoners of our own human desires and selfish tendencies. This is the transgressions and sins that Paul tells us.
Jesus invites us to invest and be rich in what matters to God. This means that as God has shown us mercy because of his great love for us, we are offered and given life with Christ. This is the fullness of life.
Thus, what matters to God is for us to replicate what we have received, that is, to show mercy to our brothers and sisters, to express concretely our love for each other and to God and to become life-giving persons. The fullness of life is not being experienced alone but can only be experienced within the context of our community. Hence, it is by being able to give life, inspire life and heal life in our families, group of friends, workplaces, organizations and communities that we shall also truly experience the fullness of life with Christ. Kabay pa.
A DOSE OF GOD TODAY 