The spiritual life

The spiritual life is a gift for the asking but it does not come without effort, without nourishing it, without consciously seeking the things that are above. But for those who do seek, life with God begins here and now.

(Sr. Joan Chittister OSB)

Lent lengthens our horizon

Dear brothers and sisters, Lent lengthens our horizon, it orients us to eternal life. On this earth we are on pilgrimage., "for here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city which is to come," says the Letter to the Hebrews (Hebres 13:14). Lent makes us understand the relativity of the goods of this earth and thus makes us capable of the necessary self-denials, free to do good. Let us open the earth to the light of heaven, to the presence of God in our midst. Amen.

(Benedict XVI)

Jesus is tempted

Tomorrow's Gospel is the Lucan version of the Temptations of Christ (Luke 3:21-22). Here is a good commentary of Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB on the text:

The Holy Spirit did not lead Jesus into temptation. The Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness. The evil one would utilize the moment of Jesus' physical weakness and exhaustion in the desert to tempt him. Satan would consider this "an opportune time," and he would look for other "seasons" as well. The devil did the tempting, not the Holy Spirit!
It was after Jesus endured the desert wilderness that he withstood temptation. Alone and defenseless against the wind and the weather, exposed to both day and night, and even exposed to the seeming absence of God, this experience of desert wilderness is part of human growth and maturity.
In the first temptation in the desert, Jesus responds to the evil one, not by denying human dependence on sustenance, but rather by putting human life and the human journey in perspective. Those who follow Jesus cannot become dependent on the things of this world. When we are so dependent on material things, and not on God, we give in to temptation and sin.
The second temptation deals with the adoration of the devil rather than God. Jesus once again reminds the evil one that God is in control. This is so important for us to hear and believe, especially when our own temptations seem to overpower us, when everything around us might indicate shadows, darkness and evil. It is God who is ultimately in charge of our destiny.
In the third temptation, the devil asks for a revelation or manifestation of God's love in favor of Jesus. Jesus answers the evil one by saying that he doesn't have to prove that God loves him.
Far from creating a great divide between Jesus Christ and ourselves, our own trials and weaknesses have become the privileged place of our encounter with him, and not only with him, but with God himself, thanks to this man of the cross. Jesus has been tested in all respects like us - he knows all of our difficulties; he is a tried man; he knows our condition from the inside and from the outside - by this did he acquire a profound capacity for compassion. For one must have suffered in order to truly feel for others. From Jesus we learn that God is present and sustaining us in the midst of test, temptation and yes, even sinfulness.
As Christians, we are in a constant fight with the desires born of our sinful natures. We are unable to resist temptation without God's grace. We are called to trust the Lord (not ourselves) for strength to resist temptation before it becomes sin. It is not the temptation itself that leads us to sin, but the lack of resistance and trust in the Lord for deliverance.

(To read the whole comment go to zenit.org)

Carrying the cross

This is an old video I've made. The song is entitled "We carry the saving cross" composed by Fr. Manoling Francisco SJ for World Youth Day 1995 in Manila.

God's greater scheme

God has only one plan for each person: our true happiness.
Then we weave our own lives towards that one plan. God's plan is so full of hope and optimism, that there is room for everything, mistakes and bloopers included.
I think that at the end of my life I will be surprised to see a marvellous tapestry. How, despite my many wrong moves, everything has led me to true joy.

"God works with those who love him ... and turns everything to their good." (Romans 8:28)

The impossible dream

It's election season again in the Philippines. With the many candidates presenting themselves full blast with the use of tri-media, and don't forget the campaign sorties even in far-flung villages, we are presented with an array of candidates, so many that it makes my head ache just to think of the ballots I have to fill up.
What is my point? It is hard to make a choice. We have grown more and more disillusioned with the kind of politicians we have, it seems like the Philippines is going from bad to worse. And so we blame the woes of our country to these people, but they would not have been there in the first place if we haven't placed them where they are. Oh well, of course, there are exceptions like for those who are where they are because of their astuteness. But then again maybe we are also responsible for letting them dupe us, and dupe us again and again for a long time.
Anyway, since I am not very young anymore and my experience in life has made me more sober (I hope), I'd like to just throw out there my own reflections. Let us turn away from our tendency to make decisions based only on practicality or convenience. Let us make choices based on what is GOOD. This coming elections is a struggle between Good and Evil, as my favorite Conrado de Quiros loves to say.
We would do well to remember these words of Thomas More, executed by the king because of his unwillingness to compromise his principles:
"When a man deserts his private conscience for the sake of public duty, he betrays himself and leads his country by a short road into chaos."
One practical and solid criterion for this coming elections? Don't vote for people who have a history of compromise. They don't have principles. Their interest is only for themselves.
Freedom has a price to pay, that is, holding fast to our principles. We may not see the fullness of freedom for our motherland in our lifetime, but we are consoled that we have planted the seed. We have left behind for our future generations something for which they will forever be thankful for.

How to live

Don't be afraid of misfortune and do not yearn after happiness. It is, after all, all the same. The bitter doesn't last forever, and the sweet never fills the cup to overflowing. It is enough if you don't freeze in the cold and if hunger and thirst don't claw at your sides. If your back isn't broken, if your feet can walk, if both arms work, if both eyes can see, and if both ears can hear, then whom should you envy? And why? ... Rub your eyes and purify your heart and prize above all else in the world those who love you and wish you well.

(Alexander Solzhenitsyn, The Prison Chronicle)