Thursday, February 16, 2006

A Big Heart


Someone asked, "What does Valentine's Day mean for celibate priests (and nuns)?" Indeed, if priests and nuns do not expect to give and receive roses and chocolates and heart-shaped balloons on Valentine's Day, then what is Valentine's Day for us?
I guess it's a day to remind myself/ ourselves of the importance of having a big heart which is necessary if one is to live a truly fruitful celibate life.

While physiologically, a big heart or enlarged heart will certainly lead to death, spiritually, a big heart brings life. This is because a big heart enables a priest or anyone who wants to truly love inclusively to receive and accommodate every person who comes to him/her or who is entrusted to him/ her...a priest his parishioners, a formator his/her formands, a teacher her students, a parent his children, a physician her patients.

Not all parishioners, formands, students, children, patients are like-able, pleasant, easy to handle. Not all the time will they be passionate and enthusiastic. Sometimes, they will be lost sheep or black sheep. But with a big heart, the priest, the formator, the teacher, the parent, the physician can always welcome them anytime, and they know they can always come home for this is always a place for them in their heart of the one who loves them truly.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

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