STILL THERE IS HOPE!

 

Many days, weeks, months and years have passed.  The only thing remains without passing in this passing time is our pain, suffering, frustration, hatred and hurt.  Why? In a sense we have lost our hope, trust, faith in God. Rather looking for material security.  At the end of the year God brought two ladies for a little guidance.  The underlining problem of both of them is the material security.  Their dependency in the Providence of God is gone far behind.  IF ONLY I HAVE THIS, my problems will be solved, was their thinking that occupied their whole being.  This insecure feeling brought them a kind of fear, which pushed them into desperation resulting in stress and frustration.  And the next thing they do is WHY ME LORD? 

I never looked back or reflected over it.  But this is made significance on that behavior of mine. Though I did not look back or reflect over the past year 2014, but there came something creeping into my mind, that my God taught me something that I cannot forget in my lifetime.  Every time when I followed what he taught, it brought always a miracle. Every time I obeyed, it strengthened me.  God again and again and again proved himself that if we really follow him we will obey his words. “Do not be troubled. Trust in God, and trust in me.” (John 14:1)  The word which brought change into my life is “Do not fear, only believe” (Mark 5:36) Hmm… yea, I have read this passage many times. But when I read this Gospel passage on that day in the Gospel sharing meeting of the staff of UC Banilad, the word spoke to everyone present there.  We took the resolution to follow that word of God. STOP WORRYING, START BELIEVING. And I too remembered another phrase, IF YOU PRAY, DO NOT WORRY, IF YOU WORRY, YOU DON’T PRAY.  After that meeting, whenever I had frustration, stress and worried about something, God reminded me of that word of God. “Do not fear, only believe. (Mark 5:36) Starting from the simple matter of reaching the Silver Hills for the Apostolate to the complicated matter of waiting to receive the approval of rejected extension of my missionary visa; he reminded me not to fear but to believe.  I questioned, humanly speaking it’s already time for mass and I am running late for the Mass, but he said to be calm and to believe.  I said, “Ok. Jesus, I believe.” And the priest was 30 minutes late for the Mass. The approval of the extension of the Missionary visa was rejected. That day the brother in-charge even said, better to downgrade, it’s easy but expensive.  But still I said that I will wait. While traveling to the Immigration office, the stress came; but the voice inside me told, not to be afraid, just believe.  ‘Humanly speaking impossible Jesus?’ I murmured. He said again to trust. I hoped in him, I trusted. Among the 4 problematic cases of the visa, I got approved and the others have to downgrade.  Even in doing my paper works in the class assignment, He taught me to trust in him, to wait on him with hope and everything HE did it very well.

So, let’s face the coming year with hope, not with fear and frustration.  His promise for us is very clear, “For I know what my plans for you are, plans to save you and not to harm you, plans to give you a future and to give you hope.”(Jeremiah 29:11) He gives our future full of Hope. Hope can help us achieve anything and everything.  When we lose hope, we lose everything. 

There were four candles burning in a room. The ambiance was so soft, that we could almost hear them talking.  The first candle said: “I am peace! The World is full of anger, hatred and fighting. Nobody can keep me lit.” Then the flame of peace went out completely.  The Second candle said: “I am Faith! Most of the people live their life in fear and frustration and it makes no sense for my existence” telling this the second candle went off completely.  Sadly the third candle began to speak: “I am love! People don’t understand my importance so they simply put me aside. The even forget to love those who are nearest to them” and waiting no longer Love’s flame blown off.  At that time a child entered the room and saw the three blown out candles. “Why are you not burning? You’re supposed to stay lit till the end. Saying this, the child began to cry.  Then the fourth candle answered: “Don’t be afraid, I am HOPE! While I am still burning we can re-lit the other candles. With shining eyes the child took the candle of hope and lit the other candles. The greatest of these is Love… …. But the flame of Hope should never go out of your life!  With hope each of us can live with Peace Faith and Love.

“I have kept faith even when I said, "I am greatly afflicted."  I have said in my dismay, "To hope in humans is vain." (Psalm 116:10-11)

Why are you so downcast, my soul, are why so troubled within me? Hope in God, for I will praise him again, my savior and my God. (Psalm 42: 6, 12; 43:5)

So, there is hope for your descendants… (Jeremiah 31:17)

Then, COME ON, whatever might have happened in the past; let’s welcome this year with NEW HOPE. Let this year be filled with hope in all our hopeless cases.

Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 41:31)

WHAT DO YOU HAVE: ONLY A LITTLE?

          Today’s Gospel (January 8, 2014) gives us a practical lesson to live.  The Gospel reading from Mark 6:34-44 brings before our eyes a Herculean task, Impossible thinking, and a Possible solution.  Herculean task given by Jesus to the disciples: “You yourselves give them something to eat.” Impossible thinking by the disciples: “"If we are to give them food, we must go and buy two hundred silver coins' worth of bread."  And the Possible solution given by Jesus:  "You have some loaves: how many? Go and see." In other words WHAT DO YOU HAVE?

          This event: Jesus feeding five thousand people occurs in all the four Gospels. Matthew and Luke will say when Jesus asks the disciples to feed the crowd the disciples already say that we have only five loaves and two fish which is not enough for the crowd and Jesus asks them to bring and make the people to sit.  John records the event as when Jesus asks the disciples to feed the crowd Andrew brings the boy who had only five loaves and two fish and Jesus asks to bring it to him and make the people to sit.  Mark gives a slightly different and more practical version of it all.  When Jesus asks the disciples to feed, the disciples did not think about what they have, they did not even check it out whether they have something, instead, respond quickly telling him that they need 200 silver coins to buy the bread for all.  Here, Jesus tells them to check out WHAT DO THEY HAVE.

          In my reflection this speaks some practical solution for the impossible things in my life and in the world.  When some problem arises our immediate thinking is that it’s something impossible for us to do or to face.  We always forget that when God sends the problem, he sends his grace together with it to face the problem.  He never expects us to do something which is beyond our capacity or ability.  He expects us to start with WHAT WE HAVE. 

          OUR LITTLE STEPS WILL HELP US TO REACH HEAVEN.  St. Therese of Child Jesus said, I WILL SPEND MY HEAVEN ON EARTH DOING LITTLE THINGS.  Mother Teresa of Calcutta says, GOD DOES NOT ASK US TO DO GREATER THINGS, HE ASKS US TO DO LITTLE THINGS WITH GREATER LOVE. So, there is nothing impossible in our life or in the world. All we have to do is to check WHAT WE HAVE and to start with WHAT WE HAVE. 

WE SAW THE RISING OF HIS STAR (MT. 2:2)

Today we celebrate the Feast of Epiphany.  When I was listening to the Gospel only two things came into my mind: First, “We saw his star.” (Mt. 2:2) and the second, “When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him” (Mt. 2:3) First I would like to reflect on King Herod.  When he heard, “where is the newborn king of the Jews?” he got troubled.  The reason is, as many of us know, because of desire and fear.  He desired the throne and when he felt the child as a potential threat for that desire he feared.  I am not interested to give a deep theological interpretation of this passage.  All I want is to have a simple reflection. In our life when we desire for something or some position and find others who are more capable than us and think that they are potential threat for our desire, then we have fear. This fear leads to anger and frustration.  Let us not think about others as a threat, who knows in times of our trouble they will be the first one to help us.  “Live in peace with one another. Do not dream of extraordinary things; be humble and do not hold yourselves as wise.” (Romans 12:16)

Second, “We saw his star.” (Mt. 2:2) when I read this phrase I remember always, which is in the first reading, “Arise, shine, for your light has come.  The Glory of Yahweh rises upon you.  Nations will come to your light and kings to the brightness of your dawn.” (Isaiah 60:1,3) In my personal reflection we are the stars that show or lead the path to Jesus.  This also corresponds to the words of Jesus, “In the same way your light must shine before others, so that they may see the good you do and praise your Father in heaven.” (Mt. 5:16)  Further, Jesus calls us to shine and to shed light to others, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:35)  We are the stars of this modern age to lead men and women, young and old, far and wide to Jesus by letting our light of love and goodness to shine before the nations. “No one lights a lamp and covers it; instead it is put on a lamp stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.” (Mt. 5:15) So, let us shine before the nations so that they will see the star and KNOW JESUS.

ARISE AND SHINE.... (Isaiah 60:1)

LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE BEFORE MEN... (Matthew 5:16)