Stand Erect and Look Up!

Isn't it a strange instruction: while all the catastrophic disaster are happening, the sun and moon falling, the earth shaking, perhaps with buildings crumbling, something like what happens in the film 2012, one is to stand erect and look up to the sky. The important details, however, should not be missed: the Son of Man coming in great power, bringing liberation to his people, to those who believe in him.

Amidst the turmoils in the world today, perhaps not (as yet) in the scale of cataclysms and catastophes, we are told by Christ to stand firm and raise our eyes to him, who is our hope and our strength. So that no matter what happens around us: volcanoes erupting, rivers overflowing, global warming, we do not lose faith because our eyes are fixed on the Lord.

We are reminded of Peter who started sinking when we paid attention, not to the Lord who was calling him, but to the waves surrounding him. May we begin this Advent season, this new liturgical year with an affirmation of our trust in the Lord, as we say in the psalm response; To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul!

Reexamining our Loyalties

It's interesting to note how the arrival of Pacquiao, the "King of the Ring" comes right before the Catholic Church celebrates the solemnity of Christ the King. The picture is a study of contrasts between someone who is acclaimed king after defeating a line-up of world renowned boxers and a King who renounces worldly force and power and pointing to a Kingdom not of this world.

While the fans and followers of Pacquiao shower him with praises and adulation and getting ahead of each other to get a glimpse or a photo of their idol, Christ has no one to come to his rescue to defend him from the plots to kill him. He is left alone, to defend himself, and the only tool he has is the 'truth'; the only witness He has is the Father, whom He could only trust in utmost surrender and faith.

This solemnity invites us to reexamine our loyalties and to what extent we concretely express this by the way we spend our time, our money, our energy. Let this day be an opportunity to express our allegiance to Christ the King... of the universe, of our life.

What is at The End?

This Sunday's readings speak of the "end of the world." Maybe we can safely say that we might not live long enough to witness the "end of the world," if we are to believe what science tells us: that the evolution of the universe is only at the 11:00 AM moment, which means that it has not even reached half its course. What we are sure of is the "end of OUR, MY world," and that is when I die, when my physical-biological existence comes to an end. It is as scary as listening to the scenarios described by the Gospel.

We can draw consolation and strength, however, from Karl Rahner's words: Accept the moment. See to it that you do what one can call, without any folderol, your duty. All the same, be ready again and again to realize once more, that the ineffable mystery we call God not only lives and reigns, but had the unlikely idea to approach you personally in love; turn your eyes to Jesus, the crucified one; come what may, you will be able to accept your life from Him when all is said and done. .. You go on as long as daylight lasts. In the end, you leave with empty hands, that I know; and it is well. At that moment, you look at the Crucified one and go. What comes is the everlasting mystery of God (Karl Rahner in Dialogue, pp. 275).

Giving Till Enough

'For a Christian, his Xtian existence is ultimately the totality of his existence. This totality opens out into the dark abyss of the wilderness which we call God. When one undertakes something like this, he stands before the great thinkers, the saints and finally Jesus Christ. The abyss of existence opens up in front of him. He knows that he has not thought enough, has not loved enough, has not suffered enough (Karl Rahner, Foundations of Christian Faith, p.2)"

This excerpt from Karl Rahner bridges the commemmoration of All Souls' Day and this Sunday's Gospel on the Widow's Mite. Like the widow, we are encouraged/ challenged to give not just our of our surplus, but from the substance of our life, our self. Many times, though, we think we have given enough, we have thought enough, love and suffered enough. But faced with death, with the real possibility of entering into the dark abyss, indeed we realize we could have given, thought, loved, suffered more.

We pray that day won't find us full of regrets; but rather ready to leave all, for have have given all... to our God who has given His all.

Happy Sunday!