Enslaved by my laptop!

I have not posted anything on this blog for some days now. It is not that I had nothing to share with you, but that my laptop decided to act up as they always do. All of a sudden my laptop refused to recognize my password, the same password I have been using all the time. But do you know the funny part of this all, my desk top had no problem recognizing my password, it was just the laptop. Do you wonder what we ever did without the cell phone, the laptop, without the iphone, the ipad, you name it. How did we do it? We survived, that much I can tell you, but how, I wouldn't know. Life seemed to have taken care of itself. But look at us now!

If we go to Church, it seems as if we wouldn't be able to make it through one hour that Mass will last without our cellphone. We even forget; or do we really forget to turn the phone off while in Church? Our phone has become second nature to us. Just check this out: you go to the airport or train station or school or hospital, everyone is on the phone, either talking, or reading email, or surfing the net or sending a text or just looking at it. It doesn't really matter what they do, but they are on it. Sometimes I think it is an indirect way to avoid human contact. No wonder why we have become an isolated and lonely society. We are more comfortable being on the phone or doing something on our computer than to have  a human contact or have a deep heart to heart talk with a human being. We have become pathetic, apathetic and cynical. That is why we become so frustrated and sad when we are imprisoned or enslaved by these digital devices. Who can rescue us from machines? 

I remember when I was young, how we used to enjoy moon-light play; when my father used to tell us folk tales; when we used to gather as a family for a meal and all those 'ancient things'. I bet you most of us would have no idea what I am talking about. All these have been replaced by TV and computer or cell phone. Oh God, I feel so old! Don't you think so? Well you can now imagine how I felt these few days, when I couldn't reach out to you because I was arrested and arraigned by the court of computer and digital device of our time. 

I was, therefore, surprised this morning when I turned on my laptop and it asked for my email and password and the laptop recognized them. And here I am writing to you. If you ever read this now you know how badly I wanted to get back to communicating with you. Think about your experiences and see if you have ever been imprisoned or enslaved by your digital devices. If you have, may be you handled it better than I did. Let us get back to the basics and see how we can rescue ourselves from what we have used our money to buy. It was to make life easy for us and not to make it difficult and unimaginable. Have a great day and a wonderful memorial weekend to you and yours!

In God's name!

I am still wondering why so many atrocities are committed in God's name. I wonder why some pastors and men of the cloth use God's name for their selfish ends. Ever wonder how God feels about this? I heard a pastor once said that when he started preaching he was using a small car. He prayed to God for a bigger one, now he is driving the car of his dream - BMW while his wife is driving a Mercedes-Benz car. I wonder where he got the money from. How do his parishioners feel about his God making him rich while those who contributed to making this happen, just because he prayed to his, God remain poor.

People have used the name of God to kill and maim, they have used his name for murder and all other atrocities that I may not be able to name here. What is the lesson here? I guess, if we want to use the name of God properly, we have to look at the person of Jesus who is the revelation of God. Christ lived a humble, ordinary and peaceful life. He preached forgiveness and love. He did not deem equality with God though he is God's Son. He depended on God his father for everything and taught us to do the same. He addressed God as Abba, Father. He showed how merciful and simple our God is in the parable of the prodigal son. God is the one who stands and waits for us, his wayward children, to come back to him. Once we go to him, he embraces us and restores us again to wholeness.

If we want to do things in God's ways then we have to  live in God's ways. We have to love in his ways and we have to seek to know him in his ways. And who is the best teacher in all these than Christ himself, who said that, he is the way, the truth and the life? If we are to go to God, then we must pass through the way which is Christ our Lord and brother.

Success comes in cans

The common slogan used by the Obama presidential campaign was “Yes we can.” This has become a household slogan in the country and beyond. If you do not say yes I am, no one will say yes thou art. One of the problems that plagues our young ones these days is lack of believe in themselves. Most people do not believe that they could try things out just because they consider those things to be tough and difficult. They may think they do not have what it takes to help them accomplish it. Just imagine that our president had thought that he could not be the president of this country just because he is black, do you think he would have run for the highest office in the land? I doubt it!

The simple lesson of life is that if the fish does not open its mouth it would not swallow bait and so would not be caught. But then the fish will die of starvation. Life is a risk. If a politician does not contest for a political office, s(he) may not win but in order to win, s(he) will have to run the race. Success begins with faith in ourselves even when we do not know how to accomplish our set goals. But those goals will have to be set regardless. After setting the goals, we have to begin the process of achieving them. From our belief comes the motivation to actualize it. Pope John Paul ll put it well when he observed: “What we do must always be in tune with what we believe.” Success comes in cans. Put yourself out there and begin to do new things even if you are embarrassed in the process. Most successful people started that way.

I remember going out with some kids once for skating. I was very scared of even trying the skating shoes. One of the kids, about seven years of age, came to me and urged me to give it a try. I told her that I was afraid of falling and that I was not as young as she was. She laughed at me and then said, look around you, have you not seen that everyone falls while learning how to skate? If you do not fall, how would you learn? That was a lesson of life taught by a seven year old. So go out there and learn to do something new. Do not be afraid of people laughing at you, in fact I would advice that you start laughing at yourself first. Fall down if you may. Remember your strength is not in falling but in standing up each time you fall. Learn new languages and learn new tricks. Believe in yourself and trust you instinct. Repeat the slogan many times, ‘Yes I can.” If you do not say it of yourself no one will say it of you. Enjoy life for that is why God created you and be kind to everyone. Give a helping hand to those who are struggling with you. Do not be happy to get to the top alone; look for someone and make sure that you help that person get on top with you, for the top can be a very lonely place. Take care of you and know that I believe in you.

When will this silly prediction stop?

Since I was young I have always heard about predictions upon predictions about the end of the world. I started being conscious of this prediction in 1977 then there was another one in 1999. The climax was the year 2000 when the whole world went agog in anticipation of what was to menace it. Was it the end of the world? Or the millennium bug that was to destroy all the computers and paralyze every digital device? I have no problem with these predictions and those who make them, however, I do have a problem with those who follow and believe these bogus and silly predictions. I feel bad for them because, unless someone is tired of this beautiful world, why should someone allow a man or woman to brainwash them to kill themselves for the sake of the end of the world? I really wonder why people should make these predictions. Is it because these prophets of doom are afraid to live that they want to die, or they want to kill themselves that they decided to take everyone with them?

Those who followed current trend of things these few days would have seen and heard that the world was to have ended on May 21, 2011. This was the prediction of Herald Camping, a Californian preacher radio talk show host. When Rev. Camping’s prediction did not come true, he, of course changed his prediction date to October 22, 2011. He was audacious enough to say that the 21^st date was an invisible judgment day. Oh yes, this was a judgment day for Rev. Camping. This was to remind him that he should not tread where angles are afraid to walk. How dare him to claim to know when the world will end when Christ, the second person of the Blessed Trinity, the Son of God most high warns us against even imagining that we could know of the time and the date. Let us listen and learn from the master. In Matthew 24:23-27, 36 Christ says this: If anyone says to then, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is! Do not believe it. False messiahs and false prophets will arise, and they will perform signs and wonders so great as to deceive, if that were possible, even the elect. Behold, I have told it to you beforehand. So if they say to you, ‘He is in the desert,’ do not go out there; if they say, ‘He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it…. “But of that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.”” Now, here is the big problem, why all the predictions? Is it that they never read portions in the bible like this or other words of Jesus quoted above? What is the meaning of the rapture envisaged and prophesied by Camping? Is it that there is no just person in the world for Christ to take up into heaven? Or could it be that God has changed his mind and decided to give us a second chance to get us really prepared for, according Rev. Camping October 22 when the real rapture will take place?

Really I don’t care when the world will end; that dose not bother me. What bothers me is how I am able to live my life and the impact that it has on others. Paul our brother tells us that “None of us lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself. For if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord; so then, whether we live of die, we are the Lord’s” (Rom. 14:7). After all we told by the book Wisdom, “But the just man, though he die early, shall be at rest. For the age that is honorable comes not with the passing of time, nor can it be measured in terms of years. Rather, understanding in the hoary crown for men, and an unsullied life, the attainment of old age” (4:7-9). So what does it really matter when the world will end so long as I am living an upright life that has impact on the life of my brothers and sisters? So please may I have some peace and let us not disturb ourselves about the end of the world. One thing I do know is that the world will end when it will end. It dose not matter what I think about it or how much I want or do not want the world to end. That is in God’s domain and let us leave it right there where it belongs.

One more note on this issue: I kind of believe with Rev. Camping, the world ended for some people on May 21, 2011. Many people died on that day. For them, the world ended. The world has been ending for some people every day. I know this as well as Rev. Camping that one day soon, the world will end for him. Please let him not presume that it will end the same day for all of us. A word is enough for the wise, they say!   

Burnout

Have you been working so hard that you seem to hate your job? Have you been at the same job for so long that your job does not posse any more challenges to you? Have you felt apathetic at your job to the extent that the joy and excitement you used to get hitherto, seem to have flown out of the window and you are left unfulfilled and dried up? Have you encountered so much trouble and stress concentrating to execute simple tasks or writing simple reports that it all seem like pulling a bad tooth? Is your job so boring that you just do not want to be bothered? Do you lack motivation of late? Are you always complaining and nagging about anything and everything; concerning anybody and everybody? Are you short-tempered, feeling tired and having headache all the time? Do these observations seem familiar to you? My friend, you are exhibiting signs and symptoms of burnout! It is time to stop, think and take action.

Though burnout may seem to be a common problem among doctors, social workers, nurses, counselors, therapists, priests and teachers, etc. this really is a common sickness or disease plaguing every working person in our society who does not take care of self. Those working in helping relationship fields cannot afford not to take care of themselves. They are, what Henri Nouwen called, ‘wounded Healers.’ They must be prepared to heal their own wounds first if they are in any way to contribute to the welfare of others. People in these categories, according to Richard D Parsons, in his book, The Skills of Helping, “often experience emotional stress and even depression as a direct result of their involvement, or perhaps more accurately stated, over-involvement with their client, and client’s problems.” It is a point worth noting that helping people can be very tasking and indeed “extremely hazardous to your physical and mental health.”

According to a study carried out in 1980, Burnout can be described “as an experience marked by the progressive loss of idealism, energy, and purpose. It is an ongoing process of depletion of energy, increased fatigue, and a general debilitation of one’s functioning.” Burnout may be caused by a number of factors and working conditions, which will elevate our stress level. At times we may feel overworked and unappreciated, isolated or we may lack focus and objective in our work. We may lack the support that we need to the point that we feel we are all alone. We may have forgotten self-care, like our annual physical health examination, or eating balanced diet, we may not be sleeping well, or we may not be exercising, or take some time out to pray, to think and to reflect. We may not take a day off or go on vacation or we may not simply do the things that give us joy. We may be too busy worrying about life until life passes us by. We may even spend our time trying to please everyone and displeasing ourselves in the process. We may be taking ourselves too seriously or taking more than our fair share of the normal workload because we do not want anyone to blame us. It could also be that we are overpersonalizing everything and take every negative comment personally. These and many other reasons may be the cause of our burnout.

So what is the remedy? It is simple. If you feel that you are not a generous person, all you need do is start being generous. In the same way, if you examine yourself based on the questions raised at the beginning of this posting, then read down to what some of the causes may be, then begin by picking one thing at a time and do something about it. First of all learn to take some time out to think, to pray, to reflect and to examine your life. Remember, unexamined life is not worth living. Meditation and prayer can work miracles in your life. Learn to take a walk and admire the flowers around you and begin to enjoy the melodious tunes of the birds. Do not forget to read a good book every now and then. Go for a movie and relax your brain. Do not forget, a good laughter is a powerful remedy for the soul.

Please take a good care of yourself. It is important for you to eat properly, rest, and exercise. Be sure to stay healthy. Keep in mind that an unhealthy worker is of no use to the company. Learn to manage you time well and do not be overburdened by trivial things. They only drain your energy and spirit. Avoid hateful and annoying people; they are vexation to the soul. Always seek counsel from your peers. No one has any monopoly of knowledge.

Plan vacation into your schedule and, please make sure you leave you job behind when you pack your bag. Many people pack their job into their vacation bag and feel worse after vacation. Enjoy the company of good friends. A good bottle of beer or wine will only gladden your heart. Find perspective in your life and burnout will never come any way near you. Take care and be happy!

Too busy to write

I have many friends visiting at the moment so I do not have much time to think and reflect. I actually wanted to write on burnout. I know many of us exhibit symptoms of burnout. I want to take my time to do a proper reflection on this very interesting topic. So keep a date with lifeslessons.

Just do it!

Sometimes we feel like doing something good for someone. When that feeling comes up just do it. It is good to do a good thing for someone once in a while.  My dad told me a story once about what it may cost me if I want to do something good. A friend gave him a bag of rice to drop off for their mutual friend. It was raining but my dad was determined to get the rice to the owner. As he was ridding on his bike to the friend’s house, a vehicle that was approaching drove into a pothole full of dirty rain- water splashing dirty water on his clothes leaving him all wet and dirty. My dad then said that it seemed that each time he did something good for someone he always got something bad in return. But he was quick to warn that the seeming bad reward should not deter me from doing good. Words of wisdom, you would say, and that would be right! Yes, it is good to do something good even when it is done badly at times.

So what is your experience? What lesson has life taught you about helping others? Do you sometimes regret helping people? Does it seem to you that people sometimes take undue advantage of you? It may seem so to you but are you not doing it for a higher purpose and eternal reward? Do you find yourself explaining away why you should not do something good for someone instead of just doing it? Do you ever find yourself arguing with yourself whether you should give alms to a beggar instead of just helping out? Yes, we do that all the time, don’t we? We tend to rationalize on almost everything instead of finding reasons to help.

During tragedies we see people bonding and getting together to do whatever they could for those hurting. Why is this so? We should not only do what is right when there is a tragedy or when someone dies. This is what we should be doing all the time. We should be our brother’s or our sister’s keeper. Doing something good is what we should be about all the time.

So I will give you my one simple commandment. Keep this and you will find some joy that cannot be explained. Here it comes: Never pass a beggar by without giving a helping hand except when you have nothing to give. It is always better to give than to receive. But the problem is that we are all too eager to receive than to give. Why not try something new for a change? 

The ‘Barnabases’ in our lives – 2

In this posting we continue with Barnabas and the role he played in the life of John Mark. But first we see Barnabas the missionary. He was set aside by the Spirit together with Paul to bring the Gospel message to the Gentiles. In Acts 12:25, we read, “After Barnabas and Saul completed their relief mission, they returned to Jerusalem, taking with them John, who is called Mark.” It means Barnabas can truly be called a man of many parts. Not only that he was son of encouragement, he worked in ‘Catholic Relief Services’ office. I guess part of his job description was to beg for money, food and clothes for those who suffered from natural disasters or were simply lacking the basic necessities of life. What a man! In spite of this, let us not forget that he was a prophet and a prayerful man. If you doubt me, listen to this, “Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Symeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who was a close friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then, completing their fasting and prayer, they laid hands on them and sent them, off.” This was the first missionary journey of Paul, taking the Gospel message to the Gentiles. It seems to me that Barnabas was a fearless preacher as we see in Acts 14. “In Iconium they entered the Jewish synagogue together and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks came to believe, although the disbelieving Jews stirred up and poisoned the minds of the Gentiles against the brothers. So they stayed for a considerable period, speaking out boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the word about is grace by granting signs and wonders to occur through their hands.”

Life’s lesson cannot be ignored which states clearly that whatever has a beginning must also have an end. And so it was that the wonderful friendship and team spirit that characterized the work of Paul and Barnabas had to come to an end because of John Mark who deserted them during the first missionary journey. It was Paul’s desire to go back and visit the churches that he and Barnabas had established. But Barnabas wanted to take John Mark along. Paul would not hear of it. In Acts 15:36-41 we witnessed the separation between this two friends and fellow workers. Barnabas stood by John Mark, the weakest link and we are told, “so sharp was their disagreement that they separated. Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus.” It seems to me that Barnabas figured out that Paul had gained enough confidence, trust and recognition on his own, therefore, it was okay for Paul to continue on his own. He saw the greatness in Paul, he still believed in him but he also felt the need to build this same trust and confidence in Mark. Today, Mark is a great evangelist who gave us the Gospel bearing his name. And Paul? He is one of the greatest missionaries of all time, a great preacher, a powerful and prolific writer who single handedly wrote 13 of the 27 books in the New Testament. Thanks to the encouragement of Barnabas!

 Today Barnabas is not as popular in the Christian world as Mark and Paul. Yet, in my opinion, Barnabas is the greatest of them all. I am sure Barnabas, being such a great and humble man felt like John the Baptist who said, referring to Christ, “No one can receive anything except what has been given him from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said (that) I am not the Messiah, but that I was sent before him. The one who has the bride is the bridegroom; the best man, who stands and listens to him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine has been made complete. He must increase; I must decrease” (John 3:28-30).

Humility is the best virtue to use in describing people like John the Baptist, Barnabas and the many men and women who have stood by us so that we could be the people that we are today. They do nothing for themselves, but everything for others. Their greatest joy is in seeing that others succeed in life. It seems to me that Barnabas had what it took to master himself; he conquered his ego and subdued it to the point that the only thing that mattered in his life was not himself but others. Fulton J. Sheen described this poignantly in his differentiation between the ego, (what I call the unredeemed self) and the I, (the redeemed self). He said, “The difference between the person in whom the ego, or selfishness, dominates and the person in whom the I, or personality, dominates spells the difference between false gaiety and true happiness, between neurotic and normal living. The ego – mask he will show the world – is the central interest of his life; all desires, thoughts, and affections, are valued in respect to this. The I, or the real self, which bears the Divine Image, is very weak in him and influences only a small area of the circumference of his life.”

Let us therefore, salute the many men and women who have acted like Barnabas for us. Look around you today and identify those that need you. There are many out there that need encouragement, appreciation and love from you. Please do not look away from them. Think of what would have happened to you if there were no Barnabas in your life. Please give a helping hand and you will be happy you deed. May Barnabas, the patron saint of all sons and daughters of encouragement pray for you today and always.

The ‘Barnabases’ in our lives - 1

We all need cheerleaders in our lives from time to time. Everyone needs someone to encourage him or her. Ever wonder how your life would be like without some encouragement from those who believed in you even more than you believed in yourself? Barnabas was such a man. Every time we encounter this man in the bible, there is something good said about him. We first see him in Acts 4: 36-37. Here we read, “Thus Joseph, also named by the apostles Barnabas (which is translated “son of encouragement”), a Levite, a Cypriot by birth, sold a piece of property that he owned, then brought the money and put it at the feet of the apostles.” Barnabas epitomized the life of the early Christians. We are told that they were of one heart and mine, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common.

We will meet Barnabas again in Acts 11. This time around he is sent to the Church in Antioch that was doing very well both in number and in witnessing to the risen Lord. We are told, “The news about them reached the ears of the Church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to (go to) Antioch.” Here again the virtues of Barnabas are extoled. “When he arrived and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced and encouraged them all to remain faithful to the Lord in firmness of heart, for he was a good man, filled with the holy Spirit and faith.” Barnabas went out of his way to look for Saul, a man who had, only recently, been converted to the faith. In the 9^th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, we read all about the conversion of Saul. This conversion took place on the road to Damascus even as Saul was on his way there to bring the adherents of the Way, in chains back to Jerusalem. One can only imagine how lonely Saul might have been, and how people received his newfound faith. Certainly he was received with suspicion and doubts. But Barnabas saw something in Paul that only Jesus Christ had seen, a man who had potentials to bring a lot of souls to God. He believed that the power of God in man was ever greater than the power of evil. He trusted that God could use any one for his glory. Yes, Barnabas went “to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the Church and taught a large number of people, and it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians” (Acts 11:19-26).

The many men and women who have acted as Barnabas in our lives could be called sons and daughters of encouragement. They looked for the best in us and saw potentials for growth. They stood by us so that we could stand tall; they believed in us even when we doubted our abilities; they defended us and made sure that we succeeded. They pushed us to the breaking point and made sure that we did not give up. When the goings got tough for us they were always there by our side and showed us how to get the tough going. They did all these with no hidden agenda, no ulterior motive and no personal gain.

In the next posting I will continue the reflection on Barnabas especially as he encouraged another disciple to succeed.   

Heaven is the final home for all.

Life has taught us that we are different in many ways. We come from different backgrounds. We have different cultures and our upbringing is different. Our religious affiliation depends to a large extent on our family background and the friends that we keep. It may also depend on those who influence us positively. It could even depend on our particular condition in life and how we want to change that condition. It may also depend on the school we attended and the teachers that we had. All these put together may determine which Church we attend or the being we pray to.

It seems to me that Christ had all these in mind when he told his disciples in John 10:16, “I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock, one shepherd.” In Eucharistic Prayer IV we offer this prayer to God, “Remember those who take part in this offering, those here present and all your people and all who seek you with a sincere heart. Remember those who have died in the peace of Christ and all the dead whose faith is known to you alone.” This clearly means that we will all be surprised in heaven to see the kind of people who will make it there.

In his book ‘Church Humour’, Judson K. Cornelius tells a beautiful story to demonstrate the point made above. “A man died and went to heaven. St. Peter happened to have time on his hands and offered to show the new arrival round. As they walked from place to place, St. Peter pointed to the different groups and explained who they were. “They’re the Jews…those over there are Buddhists… Those are Protestants… the ones in the corner are Mormons.” They arrived at a compound surrounded by a high wall. From inside could be heard the sound of voices and laughter. “Who are those?” asked the new arrival. “Hush!” said St. Peter, “They’re the Catholics – but they think they’re the only ones here.”” Many times we find people in different denominations behaving as if heaven is their exclusive right. Poor things!

Isaiah 66:18-21 has God speaking these glorious words to us: “I come to gather nations of every language; they shall come and see my glory. I will set a sign among them; from them I will send fugitives to the nations: to Tarshish, Put and Lud, Mosoch, Tubal and Javan, to the distant coastlands that have never heard of my fame, or seen my glory, and they shall proclaim my glory among the nations. They shall bring all your brethren from all the nations as an offering to the Lord, on horses and in chariots, in carts, upon mules and dromedaries, to Jerusalem, my holy mountain, says the Lord, just as the Israelites bring their offering to the house of the Lord in clean vessels. Some of these I will take as priests and Levites, says the Lord.” Even Peter had to learn his lesson the hard way that salvation did not belong to the Jews alone. In the 10^th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles 34-35, Peter was directed by the Spirit to go to the house of Cornelius who was a gentile. On speaking to him the Holy Spirit came down on Cornelius and his household. Peter had to explain his action to the other disciples. He had this to say among other things: “In truth, I see that God shows no partiality. Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him.”

This then calls on us to be careful how we treat people whether they ‘belong’ to our Church or not. The way I see it, heaven is the ultimate destination for all of us. God will turn no one away unless the person out-rightly rejects God. I believe there will be big surprises awaiting us in heaven, especially, when those we least expected will be given a place of honor at the throne of Grace and mercy before God the father of all.

The Church of the Eternal Feel Good – New members needed!

Believe it or not the multiplicity of Churches as we have it today was not always so. There was a time when there was only one Church in the whole world. Until 1517 the only Church there was, was the Catholic Church. It all started around October 31, 1517, when Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the church door in Wittenburg, Germany requesting for some changes in the Church. From that time on the deed was done; people started finding one reason or the other to leave their church in order to either start their own Church or to join another one. I am not sure that God knows the number of Churches there is in the world today.

It is common to find people complaining of one thing or the other in every Church. There are those will do nothing except complain, it doesn’t matter what anyone does. It is my opinion that most of those who complain do not know deep down why they complain. Many have left the church for selfish reasons or to make money. Others see the church as an opportunity to get rich.

I often wonder all the atrocities there is in the world and yet the Mosques are always full on Fridays and our Churches are teeming with people on Sundays. Many more Churches are coming up daily with different names. ‘Church Business Plc.’ has become a very lucrative venture the world over. Retreats, revival and spiritual convocations are being organized on daily bases. Tele-evangelists have filled the airwaves with their sound and fury in the name of preaching while selling their wares in the name of ministering in God’s name. With all the prayers and the church going, why are we retrogressing into sin, crimes, degeneration, dearth and rot?

It is my opinion that the problem with our universe is far from creating churches. No matter what Church one finds himself or herself in, there will always be something wrong with it. Me think that the problem is not the Church but those who are in it. When we complain about our Church we should remember that if our Church were to be perfect we would not be worthy to be members. Christian life is more than a building we call Church, it is about living the life of Christ and following in his footsteps. Do we find it easy to put our Christian tenet into practice? What about the virtues of love, forgiveness, mercy, justice, truth, freedom and peace? What about living a life of reconciliation and forbearance? How right was Cardinal G. Biffi of Milan when he observed: “Christianity conquers not when one fools himself into thinking that the Christian life is a nice walk under the flowering almond trees, but when he doesn’t forget that baptism signs one up in a battle against evil. So why not love your Church for a change and serve the Lord your God wherever you find yourself?  

Symptoms of Inner Peace.

This write-up is not from my mind that is so tired today and has refused to think of anything interesting for posting in my blog. To tell you the truth, I don’t know who wrote it, but I do know that it was circulated during one of my lectures when I tested my brain back in the university days. I hope it will make sense to you.

“Be on the lookout for symptoms of inner peace. The hearts of a great many have already been exposed to inner peace and it is possible that people everywhere could come down with it in epidemic proportions. This could pose a serious threat to what has, up to now, been a fairly stable condition of conflict in the world.”

“Some signs and symptoms of inner peace:

-       A tendency to think and act spontaneously rather than on fears based on past experiences.

-       An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment.

-       A loss of interest in judging other people.

-       A loss of interest in judging self.

-       A loss of interest in interpreting the actions of others.

-       A loss of interest in conflict.

-       A loss of the ability to worry. (This is a very serious symptom).

-       Frequent, overwhelming episodes of appreciation.

-       Contented feelings of connectedness with others and nature.

-       Frequent attacks of smiling.

-       An increasing tendency to let things happen, rather than make them happen.

-       An increased susceptibility to the love extended by others as well as the uncontrollable urge to extend it.

Warning:

If you have some or all of the above symptoms, please be advised that your condition of inner peace may be so far advanced as to not be curable. If you are exposed to anyone exhibiting any of these symptoms, remain exposed only at your own risk!”

I wish it were possible to reach this point in seeking for peace. Can you imagine how our world would be if everyone were to suddenly come down with these symptoms? Did I hear you say that the world would be Heaven for all of us?

God’s call and our response – 2

The first is God’s free choice. Jesus makes it clear that God chooses us not because we are good but because he loves us. “It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain” John 15:16. In his letter to Timothy, our brother Paul reminded Timothy, “Not according to our works but according to his own design” 2Tim. 1:9. The second is a mission, which could entail leaving the safe, the familiar, the known and moving to the unknown and accepting the new and the untried. Paul tells Timothy again to “Bear your share of the hardship for the Gospel” 2Tim.1:8. The mission that was entrusted to Abraham was to move away from his father’s house to a foreign land where God was to establish a new covenant with him. Though Abraham had no children, he was promised descendants that would be as many as the stars in the sky.

As Christians we do have a mission to our family, our community, our co-workers, or job, our fellow students and our friends. This mission is to be determined by our relationship with God. The closer our relationship is with God, the stronger will our commitment be to those entrusted to our care.

The third is a promise, which in Abraham’s case consisted of a posterity – children. I will make of you a great nation. In our case, this promise consists of life and immortality. In all these the basic requirement is that we have faith and trust in God and be prepared to do what God commands us to do.

The call to leave our country to the place God will show us has a lot of implications for us. This movement does not require our literally leaving our environment, by no means! It means a movement away from where God is not at home with us, where there is darkness, selfishness, evil, pettiness, sin, division and backwardness. We must remove the root cause of sins from our lives. God is calling us to be transformed and be transfigured, to move from the land of sin, darkness and evil to a land of holiness. God has called us to be holy, Paul told Timothy, and Jesus calls us to be holy as his heavenly father is holy.

In order to leave the familiar terrain, we must listen to the voice of Christ. By listening to him we learn to walk with him day by day and take on his ways; his ways of thinking, of speaking and relating with people. This is what leaving behind my own selfish ways and taking on Christ’s selfless ways means, by dying to myself and living for others. Indeed, I must be another Christ wherever I find myself.

So look at the land where you live now, walk around it and see what is in every corner of it. Perhaps there are some habits you want to change, like, drinking, smoking, being engrossed in pleasure seeking trip, quarreling with everyone. It may be laziness that creates problems for you and your family. Tell Jesus that you are ready to leave this behind you. Once you make this decision, please do not look back. Move towards the land that God will show you. In that land a promise awaits you. You will not get that promise unless you move.

God’s call and our response - 1

This post was for yesterday. There was a technical problem with my blog site yesterday. So here is what you should have read yesterday. Better late than never, is one of life's lessons. Believe it or not!

The first movement between Jesus and the trio, Peter, James and John was at the transfiguration as recorded in Matthew’s Gospel 17:1-8. The next time we will meet them will be at the garden of Gethsemane in Matthew 26:36-46. They who saw the glory of Christ on the mountain peak would witness his agony on the garden ground. Jesus called these men to be in communion with him, to see his glory and splendor on that most beautiful mountain. He also called them to be his support team during the lowest moment of his life as he struggled to do the will of his father in that garden. He longed to have their company, to feel their love and support and to have them pray with him.

In the Catholic tradition, the idea of vocation (call) was vey much restricted to the priesthood and religious life. It is important to note however, that this special call to serve in ministry, rests upon the general and the most basic call of all extended to every human being irrespective of creed, tribe, color or nation, the call to life, to exist and to be human sharing in the humanity of all. This call extends to yet another call, namely, a call to a new existence, to belong to the community of God’s people.

In the book of Genesis 12:1, we see God calling Abram to “Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you.” Abram’s call and the call extended to us by God imply three elements, Namely God’s free choice, God’s mission and finally God’s promise. For us to get the promise however, we have to respond to God’s call. In the next posting, I will explain what these elements mean to us and how we are to respond to God’s call if we are to share in his promises.

Is your line local or international?

I have ‘A Joe King Book’ on A Minister, A Priest, and a Rabbi. It has 91 sermons delivered by Albert Tapper and Peter Press. On the 120^th page, there is this beautiful joke. “The chief rabbi of Israel was visiting in Rome and decided to stop in and see his good friend the pope. While there he noticed that the pope had a gold telephone. “What’s that?” the rabbi inquired. “It’s my direct line to God,” the pope replied. “Can I use it?” asked the rabbi. “Of course,” said the pope, “but it costs a lot of money - it costs three thousand dollars.” The rabbi thought for a moment and then decided that it was worth the expense to be able to talk directly to God. He made his phone call, conducted his business with God, and paid the pope before he left. Some years later the pope found himself in Jerusalem and went to visit the chief rabbi. When he entered the rabbi’s office he noticed a gold phone. “Is that what I think it is?” he asked. “Yes, it’s my direct line to God. After seeing yours, I had one installed.” “Can I use it?” asked the pope. “Of course,” said the rabbi. So the pope made his call and spoke with God for about an hour, after which he asked the rabbi, “How much do I owe you?” “A dollar eighty-seven,” replied the rabbi. “A dollar eighty-seven How come so cheap?” asked the pope. “Well, it’s only a local call.”

Ever wonder how many of us would line up to speak to God if there was a direct line to him? Ever wonder how much we would be willing to pay to make this call? I bet some of us would willingly pay a fortune, if we were sure that we would be linked directly to God. I can only imagine how many of us would like to listen to God speak to us directly. I know he would tell us exactly what would work for us and what wouldn’t. The question is would we listen to what God would tell us to do?

The truth is that we don’t need to pay a dime to get connected to God. Each and everyone of us has a direct line to God. In Matthew 7:7-8, we are told “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will fine; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” James on the other hand asks, “Where do the wars and where do the conflicts among you come from? Is it not from your passions that make war with your members? You covet but do not possess. You kill and envy but you cannot obtain; you fight and wage war. You do not possess because you do not ask. You ask but do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions” 4:1-3. Yes we have a local line to God and we can reach him at any time. All we need do is to listen to Jesus: “When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you” Mt. 6:5-7.

Do not hesitate to use your airtime and call on your heavenly Father. He waits for you and wants you to call on him. You have all that it takes to get what you need from your Father, but you have to ask him, ask him nicely. Remember all your calls are local and you do not have to pay a dime for it. Your friend and brother has paid it all for you. The blood of Christ is the payment, which was made in full for all eternity. He tells us that he is the way, the truth and the life. We need to go to the Father through him. May all your prayers be answered. Do not forget, ‘no’ is also an answer to your prayers. Good luck!   

It is unbelievable!

Who can understand the mind? Who can determine what goes on there? Listen to Jeremiah the prophet as he reflects on the mind of man: “More tortuous than all else is the human heart; beyond remedy, who can understand it? I, Lord, alone probe the mind and test the heart. To reward everyone according to his ways, according to the merit of his deeds” 17:9-10. Bob Marley sang in one of his reggae hits “if the night should turn into the day, a lot of people would run away.” Very true!

This reflection is taken from Mark’s Gospel 10: 35-37. Here we read: “Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” He replied, “What do you wish me to do for you?” They answered him; “Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right hand the other at your left.” Let us not forget what preceded this request. Christ had just told the apostles what was awaiting him as they went into Jerusalem. Let us back up little. “They were on the way, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus went ahead of them, they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. Taking the Twelve aside again, he began to tell them what was going to happen to him. “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will he handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and hand him over to the Gentiles who will mock him, spit upon him, scourge him, and put him to death, but after three days he will rise”, 32-34. Now what would you say to these two brothers? You will call them selfish. Right? And you would be right. You would say they were inconsiderate. Right again. You may even say that they wanted to lord it over the other apostles. Right once again. But are we not too quick to judge?

In the heart of us all, there is something of James and John. We sometimes do not consider what others think or how they feel, so long as we satisfy our ego. We want to lead the parade; we want to be in charge, anyone who does not like it, well too bad. We tend to always think selfishly at times by asking, ‘what is in it for me?’  Instead of asking, ‘how can I help you attend your own goal?’ We find this attitude in every aspect of life. We even bring it into friendship and relationship. We think, many times of me, me and only me.

We must learn to put ourselves in the place of others and begin to feel as they feel, and see things as they see. Unless we do this, our ego will continue to get in the way of life. When this happens we begin to live a very sad and lonely life. But what did Christ do? Well he took pains to teach them a lesson on service. Listen: “When the ten heard this, they became indignant at James and John. Jesus summoned them and said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” 38-45. Christ never missed a wonderful opportunity of teaching. Authority in the Church does not mean lording it over people, it means being a servant of all. The James and John in us push us to be Lords, and Kings; but the Jesus in us calls us to be always in service to others.

Yes the attitude of the brothers is unbelievable indeed. It demonstrates the confusion that goes on in our minds. We hardly listen when others speak before we start presenting our request. We have to be humble before God and humble before others if we are to understand the true meaning of authority. Selfishness, greed, avarice and a bloated ego are the fruit of false sense of authority. Humility, love and service are the virtue of a true leader and a man of authority. How many of such people do you know? One in a million!    

Money

An Economist would define money as a medium of exchange. Wikipedia sees money as “any object or record, that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts in a given country or socio-economic context.” With God all things are possible but with money all things are buyable. Money is a means by which one acquires that which one needs. Money can be seen to be the god of this world and many people have sacrificed their souls in search of money. I once heard a business man say that he had spent 30 years asking God for money and his prayer was not answered, but he only spent three days asking the devil for money and he got all the money he needed. What a jerk!

The Bible has a lot of hard words to say about money. Paul, writing to Timothy said thus: “If we have food and clothing, we shall be content with that. Those who want to be rich are falling into temptation and into a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all evils, and some people in their desire for it have strayed from the faith and have pierced themselves with many pains.” 1Timothy 6:8-10. Very interesting. Note that Paul is not condemning riches, he is against the love of money – an inordinate pursuit of money. How can we be lovers of money? We love money when we hold on to it and refuse to share it with others, especially those who are more in need than ourselves. When we hold on to money we make money into a god and worship it. Here then is where another condemnation comes in, this time from Christ. “No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” (Mt. 6:24).

Apart from sex that has brought untold pain, sorrow and degradation to many including many a man of God, money ranks second in the echelon of vices that militate against many of us. No wonder our brother Paul has this very timely instruction for us: “Whoever teaches something different and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the religious teaching is conceited, understanding nothing, and has a morbid disposition for arguments and verbal disputes. From these come envy, rivalry, insults, evil suspicions, and mutual friction among people with corrupted minds, who are deprived of the truth, supposing religion to be a means of pain. Indeed, religion with contentment is a great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, just as we shall not be able to take anything out of it.” (1Timothy 6:3-7).

So how can we make the best use of our money? Christ has the final say on this. Let us listen and learn: “I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth, so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small maters is also dishonest in great ones. If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another, who will give you what is yours?” (Lk. 16:9-120). This seems very simple but unless we are detached from money and learn to use it properly we may end up turning money into a god rather than a thing to be used for others. How generous have you been lately with your money? 

Tribute to Mothers

Today we honor our mothers. This is a fitting celebration indeed. The relationship between a child and the mother cannot really be explained. The mother carried her child in her womb for nine months. During this period the child is fed directly by the mother’s blood linked through the umbilical cord. When the child is born the mother nurtures and provides for her baby. If the child gets sick the mother does not rest until she makes sure that her baby is well again. Many mothers go through a rough time like having bed rest for many months before the birth of their children.  Yes there are many reasons why these wonderful people in our lives should be celebrated. I hope all children and men have taken some time out to celebrate their mothers, just to say thank you for all they have done for us.

On a day like today, I cannot but remember the slogan of the anti-abortion group: ‘Mother thank you for not aborting me.’ If my mother did not give birth to me, I would not have been here today. Mother, for every pain and anxiety you went through for me, I am very grateful; for taking care of me while I was sick, I thank you. For rejoicing at my successes in life, I am proud of you. You are indeed my queen, my friend, my first love and my mother. What would I ever achieve without you? Where would I ever been had you not given birth to me. You are my beginning, you are my day, my night and my all.

For those of us whose mothers have passed on, we are grateful to God for giving us our mothers for the years we had them. I pray that my mother may be rewarded for the good works she did for me and in me while she was alive. I am sorry if I ever caused my mother any pain or sorrow. I do love you mother and now you are forever in my heart!

I want to conclude this post with a quotation from Proverbs 31:10-31, though the bible talks of an ideal wife, I want to replace the wife with mother: “When one finds a worthy wife, her value is far beyond pearls. Her husband (children), entrusting his heart to her, has an unfailing prize. She brings him good, and not evil, all the days of her life. She obtains wool and flax and makes cloth with skillful hands. Like a merchant ships, she secures her provisions from afar. She rises while it is still night, and distributes food to her household. She picks out a field to purchase; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. She is girt about with strength, and sturdy are her arms. She enjoys the success of her dealings; at night her lamp is undimmed. She puts her hands to the distaff, and her fingers ply the spindle. She reaches out her hands to the poor, and extends her arms to the needy. She fears not the snow for her household; all her charges are doubly clothed. She makes her own coverlets; fine linen and purple are her clothing; Her husband (children) is (are) prominent at the city gates as he (they) sit(s) with the elders of the land; She makes garments and sells them, and stocks the merchants with belts. She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs at the days to come. She opens her mouth in wisdom, and on her tongue is kindly counsel. She watches the conduct of her household, and eats not her food in idleness. Her children rise up and praise her; her husband, too, extols her; many are the women of proven worth, but you have excelled them all. Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting; the woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her a reward of her labors, and let her works praise her at the city gates.”

Everything quoted above from the book of Proverbs could be applied to my mother. I believe that most children can say the same about their mothers. As we celebrate mother’s day today, let us pray that we may be to others what our mothers have been to us.

Will the Real Me please stand up?

I have often heard people say they know their friends through and through. They boast that they can write a book on their friends. They have been through so much together; they went to the same high school and studied in the same college. They even take their vacations together and if one person starts a sentence the other can accurately complete it. Though this presumed knowledge of the other is good to hear and great to express with a seeming honesty and doubtful consequences, nothing can be far from the truth. No two persons can presume to know the other person that well. It will be more accurate to say that our limited knowledge that we have of anyone, if any, is only accurate to the point that the other person concedes that the knowledge is accurate. This is not to say that it is the truth. Life has taught us that no one knows what the other person thinks unless the person tells us his thoughts. Hence, it is a fallacy to say that we know what someone is thinking or that we know someone that well as to complete his sentence. May be this could be true in some cases but not in all.

Even identical twins cannot presume to know and feel what each of them is thinking or feeling. The fact that you went through the same school and live in the same house and eat in the same restaurant does not, ipso facto, give you an absolute knowledge of the other person. So what then do we know about anyone? Great question, I must admit, but the answer is far from being simple. We only know so much as the other person wants us to know. Ever heard someone say, ‘I thought I knew him?’ There you are! You only presumed that you knew him and he allowed you to stay in your ignorance.

So who am I? Now we are getting somewhere. The truth is that most of the time I don’t know who I am. I am in a process of knowing myself to the point of telling someone who I really am. I do this through reflections, prayers and being open to my environment and to others. I take risks in relationships and in life in general. John Powell, S.J. made a very important point here, “Unless my mind and heart are hopelessly barricaded, all these things that define me as a person are forever changing. If I am anything as a person, it is what I think, judge, feel, value, honor, esteem, love, hate, fear, desire, hope for, believe in and committed to.” This is a great insight to who I am. But what has made me this way? My culture, my family, my religion, my friends, and all that I consider my support system. Not to forget the tiny thing in my head called my brain, that thinking part of me that at times makes me see what is not there. It is the way I perceive reality, the way I feel and the way I allow things to affect my being. I am also influenced by my education, the different brainwashing and programming that I have subjected myself to. All these give orientation and make up the constitution I call me. Unless I invite someone to share it all with me; unless I give someone the road map to my territory, no one has an idea who I am and how the real me feels. Again the words of wisdom from John Powell is apt to conclude this piece: “My person is not a little hard core inside of me, a little fully formed statue that is real and authentic, permanent and fixed. My person rather implies a dynamic process. In other words, if you knew me yesterday, please do not think that I am the same person that you are meeting today. I have experienced more of life, I have encountered new depths in those I love, I have suffered and prayed, and I am different. Please do not give me a “batting average,” fixed and irrevocable, because I am “in there” constantly, taking my swings at the opportunities of daily living. Approach me, then, with a sense of wonder, study my face and hands and voice for the signs of change; for it is certain that I have changed. But even if you recognize this, I may be somewhat afraid to tell you who I am.”  

Communication

In one of the post on this blog, I reflected on ‘listening in order to hear.’ The reason for that reflection was based on life’s lesson that is, God gave us two ears and one mouth. Two ears to listen more than we speak since we only have one mouth. In this post I want to reflect on another life’s lesson: communication. In communication we seek to share ourselves with others in a special way. In communicating with God – prayer, we enter into a dialogue with God. Unfortunately, for most of us, this communication is a one-way traffic. We spend all the time talking not caring to listen to God as He seeks to communicate Himself to us.

For the US department of education “The field of communication focuses on how people use messages to generate meanings within and across various contexts, cultures, channels and media. The field promotes the effective and ethical practice of human communication. Communication is a learned skill. Most people are born with the physical ability to talk but we must learn to speak well and communicate effectively. Speaking, listening and ability to understand verbal and nonverbal meanings are skill we develop in various ways.” This post is not dealing with the technicality of the discipline of communication. My interest is rather on the basic need to give myself to the other person and effectively expressing myself in a non- complicated way while the other person listens with a nonjudgmental attitude and intention. This much I know if love does not communicate that love is dead. In the same way, if we do not have an intentional habit of communicating with our loved ones, we could as well say goodbye to a relationship already established.

Life’s lesson: there is a story told of a couple who had some difficulties communicating. The man would come back from work, goes into the kitchen and fix his meals. The wife would do the same. One day the wife had an early doctor’s appointment. She needed the husband to wake her up an hour earlier so that she could get ready for her appointment. Since they were not in talking terms, she wrote a note requesting her husband to wake her up at 5:30 a.m. and left it on the husband’s nightstand. The man read the note and went to sleep. At 5:30 a.m. he wrote “wake up it is 5:30 and left it on the wife’s nightstand. Low and behold the wife woke up and 6:00 a.m. as the man was getting ready to go to work. She was furious the lashed out at the husband. I asked you to wake me at 5:30 was that too difficult a thing to do? The man responded, “why shout at me, I woke you up at the right time, check your nightstand.” This couple was engaged in a communication of a kind, but they did not use the proper skill and method for it.

Communication is more than mere words. It is paying attention to the other person and hearing even the things that are not said. It is observing the emotions and facial expressions of the other person. It is noticing the distractions that get in the way of proper communication. It is knowing when someone is paying attention to what is being said and when the person’s attention has been directed towards other things or people. At times we put masks and refuse to communicate truthfully to those we profess to love. This makes communication very difficult indeed. Telling people what we think they want to hear rather than telling them the truth is a disservice done to others rather than serving them in love. John Powell put it so well when he observed, “Our word communication refers to a process by which someone or something is made common, that is, it is shared. If you tell me a secret, then you and I posses the knowledge of your secret in common, and you have communicated it to me. But you have much more to communicate to me, if you wish to, than merely one of your secrets. You can tell me who you are, just as I can tell you who I am.” This is one of the tragedies of life; we are afraid to tell people, even our close friend, who we really are for fear that they may not love us. To communicate is to be in communion with someone and to be truly open to someone is to live. What then is life if I am always afraid of entering into a deeper union and communion with at least one person that I can truly call my friend?    

The beautiful sleep of Jesus!

In this blog I have written already on the ‘Humanity of Jesus’ and ‘Jesus wept’ to demonstrate the fact that Jesus was both human and divine. Jesus is the second person of the Blessed Trinity. He was fully human and fully divine. As a divine person, Jesus possessed all the divine attributes; also as a human person Christ had all the attributes of a human being. Therefore, Jesus was like us in everything but sin. It would be true to say that Christ went through all that we go through today. Yet his love for God’s creation is absolute and complete.

I am often surprised at the fanatics that believe and preach that Christ did not eat, sleep or feel weak. This is far from the truth. The area where Christ lived and worked was not as developed as our present day environment. The terrain was rocky and mountainous. There were no tarred roads. Christ and his disciples had to travel long distances by foot. In deed it was only during the triumphant entry into Jerusalem that we are told Christ rode on donkey. Apart from traveling by foot, the other means of transport that Christ used was the boat, to cross from one side of the Sea of Galilee to the other. Christ’s friends and companions were common fishermen, a tax collector and a revolutionist. His life style was simple.

This reflection is based on one of those crossings on the Sea of Galilee. Mark’s Gospel puts this in perspective for us: “On that day, as evening drew on, he said to them, “let us cross to the other side.” Leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat just as he was. And other boats were with him. A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was already filling up. Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. They woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” He woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Quiet! Be sill!” The wind ceased and there was great calm. Then he asked them, why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?” 4:35-40. I love this story. My impression is that Christ was very tired. I believe he may have been teaching moving from one place to another till now. He was hungry. Could be they were crossing to Capernaum, where Christ had made his home. Just like any of us, on sitting down, he picked a cushion and made it his pillow and off he went off, enjoying his sleep. Who wouldn’t sleep after a heavy’s day job? Remember when you slept in the bus as you were returning from work? What about sleeping in the train or in the plane or even sleeping while your friend was giving you a ride in his car? This sleep is often short but deep and enjoyable. There you are, Christ was hungry, tired and sleepy. These things can only happen to human beings.

The other aspect of the story that I like very much is the attitude of the apostles. They went to wake him up. They asked him, “Don’t you care that we are perishing?” He woke up and rebuked the wind. Now listen to this, he asked them “why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?” If we have faith, it will be easy to see that though Christ may be asleep yet he is still very active at work. Many times, it seem to us that Christ does not care, that he is asleep in the boat of our lives. Vicissitude of life may seem to overpower us and we may think we are all alone. But Christ is there seemingly sleeping in our boat. His sleep is the most beautiful and serene sleep you have ever seen for in that sleep, there is power. You may wake him up and as soon as he is up the squall will calm down and there will be peace. But then the question will come, “why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?”

Loneliness!

Loneliness is an unpleasant feeling in which a person experiences a strong sense of emptiness and solitude resulting from inadequate levels of social relationships. Everyone feels lonely every now and then. You recall the first time you left home? You felt lonely as you sat there just yourself alone missing home. You travel in a plane and you see everyone around talking and smiling and there you are all alone sitting by yourself feeling sorry for yourself? You were alone. You remember when you visited your friends and loved ones you had such a wonderful time, but then it was time to return to your job. You missed your friends so much that you felt lonely. Loneliness is a common feeling for everyone. Our world is filled with lonely people. Many men and women all around us are lonely and would give everything in the world to have company, but they do not. They are lonely. Just take a walk to the hospices and nursing homes and you are in no doubt of the fact that there are lonely people all around you. Loneliness is one of the silent killers of our time and most of the time we seem helpless.

There are many causes of loneliness. It could be lack of friendship when you were growing up or lack of meaningful people around  you when we most needed them. Loneliness may also be a symptom of depression or grief. Divorce, breakup or loss of a long-term relationship can initiate a long lonely life. Old age and sickness without a good and strong support system may also plunge someone into a long drawn loneliness. According to Henry Nouwen, “Loneliness is one of the most universal sources of human suffering today. Psychiatrists and clinical psychologist speak about it as the most frequently expressed compliant and the root not only of an increasing number of suicides but also of alcoholism, drug use, different psychosomatic symptoms – such as, headaches, stomach and low-back pains – and of a large number of traffic accidents. Children, adolescents, adults and old people are in growing degree exposed to the contagious disease of loneliness in a world in which a competitive individualism tries to reconcile itself with a culture that speaks about togetherness, unity and community as the ideals to strive for.”  So what can we do to overcome this disease that plagues our human existence?  

The cure of loneliness begins with self-care and a cultivation of a good support system. Being concerned for the welfare of others especially the elderly can spice up their lives. It is also good to spend sometime with those who need us more than we need ourselves. But ultimately loneliness cannot be cured unless we are prepared to work at it.

Pain

Pain is a condition whereby someone feels discomfort either in the general wellbeing or emotional wellbeing. Pain can also be felt or experienced when someone is sick physically or psychologically. The philosopher Nietzsche, according to Wikipedia, experienced long bouts of illness and pain in his life, and wrote much about the meaning of pain as it relates to the meaning of life in general. Among his more famous quotes, are ones specifically related to pain: “Did you ever say yes to pleasure? Oh my friends, then you also said yes to all pain. All things are linked, entwined, in love with one another.” Life has taught us that there is no crown without a cross. There can be no absolute pleasure without some pains of a sort. It is therefore, unconceivable to imagine a life of happiness and pleasure without accepting pain in the process.

Life teaches us that pain happens when we care. This is emotional pain. You cannot love someone without making yourself open to their problems, their fears. We at times bear pain vicariously for the ones we love and care for. This was how Christ suffered for us. St Peter has this to say about vicarious suffering and pain: “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his steps. He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth” 1 Pet.2: 21-23. The unfortunate thing about life is that many people would do whatever it takes to avoid pain or douse it if possible. We want to escape from pain by all means. People take drugs, alcohol, and get involved in many other practices to douse and avoid pain. Many men and women seek to escape away from pain into the arms of women and men and use sex to drown their pain. This does not help. We can deal with pain by embracing it and seeking for ways to work through it.

If Christ had escaped his pain and eventual dead on the cross we would not have salvation today. He went through it, embraced and endured it hence our salvation. It is true that no one goes looking for pain. No one likes pain, no one likes to suffer, but endure pain we must.   

So what should we do if faced with pain? The answer can be found in Mt. 26:36-40, “Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, ‘Sit here while I go over there and pray.’ He took along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to feel sorrow and distress. Then he said to them, “My soul is sorrowful even to death. Remain here and keep watch with me.” Jesus advanced a little and fell prostrate in prayer, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me: yet, not as I will, but as you will.” So apart from facing our pain headlong, we should pray, pray and pray asking for God’s will to be done rather than our will. May God help us to endure our pain and suffering with equanimity.