Personal

No decision of ours is ever "not personal", for every decision we make defines the person that we are.

Face your fears

Face your fears. Monsters thrive in the dark.

It's personal

No decision of ours is ever "not personal", for every decision we make defines the person that we are. We are not made in one day. Who we are is a slow evolution. Every step forward and backward form part of who we are, of our life story.
That is why no one can be perfect. We all make mistakes.
When we make mistakes we can  choose to regress by sticking to that mistake, or we can choose to stand up and make a difficult but courageous decision.
The rest of the factors may be overwhelmingly favorable or unfavorable, but ultimately the one to make the decision is you alone.

My choice

A lot of people think that I have given up so much when I chose the consecrated life. And these people have different reactions: regret, surprise, pity, admiration, disdain.
But giving up something in favor or something else is not really anything new. It is part of life. It is the necessary step to make in order to capture the meaning of this wonderful gift called life, give it form and configuration.
Happy feast of Consecrated life. Pray that despite our weaknesses and limitations, we may be a ray of God's goodness.

Journeying to the point of no return

Well, perhaps the title is a little bit exaggerated because God is that father of the prodigal son in Jesus' parable who opened wide his arms to embrace and welcome back his wayward child; the father who had the fattened calf, yes, that fattened calf reserved for "the" special occasion, to celebrate the homecoming of the one who brought shame to his house and family.
Anyway today's first reading about the prophet Nathan's denunciation of King David's multi-fold sin invited me to think about the dynamics of sin and, come to think of it yes, the dynamics of any addiction.
First, we put ourselves in a vulnerable position. It could be because of curiosity, a challenge, laziness, or plain stupidity.
Then we go to the next level. We try to know more, to try more. We often reason out, at this level, that there is really nothing wrong, that we shouldn't be prudish, that we have to grow up, that it is a sign of maturity.
The next step is what I call the "dance of the moth". Just like a moth attracted by the light of a burning candle, we make two steps forward and a step backward, and we remain hypnotized, we don't realize we are getting closer to burning ourselves.
The next step is facing the music. Yes, the time will come, whether we like it or not, that we have to face the consequences of this series of choices. The happier choice would be to recognize our mistakes and ask for help. But unfortunately for many, they choose another way, that of cleaning the facade and pretending that everything is well.
And as many of us have experienced, even the choice of turning our lives around is not very easy, because old habits die hard. So we realize that a higher power, God, and his mercy is always available, and we should be grateful for that. But we also need a good head on our shoulders that tells us when it is courageous to face the enemy head on, and when it is courageous to take a retreat.
And before I end, remember that the merciful Jesus himself said to the woman caught in adultery, "I too will not condemn you, go and sin no more". Okay, I think I've made my point clear.
We need to do our part to sin no more "and to avoid the near occasions of sin" as our traditional act of contrition says.

Holiness

To do the right thing, at the right time, and in the right place is not rigidity. It is discipline. It is responsibility.
But when we do it for love of God, well, that is holiness.