Identity Crisis

Feast of James, the Apostle 

(Mt 20: 20-28) 

Today is the feast of James, the Apostle. The New Testament mentioned him along with Peter and John several times, on Jesus’ Transfiguration (Mt 17:1) and His agony in the garden (Mk 14: 33) for example. As for today’s gospel, Matthew mentioned them through their mother who tried to secure their position by asking Jesus to allow her two sons to sit at his right and left in His kingdom.

Is being an apostle identity or a position? In the words of Mark, James and John themselves asked Jesus to favor them of the right to be His right/left hand man when His glory comes. Understandably they view apostleship as a position. However, Jesus clearly explained to them to be His apostle is to undergo what He underwent, to do what He did, and above all to do the will of God without any reservations. 

Notice that in chapter 10, Matthew narrated Jesus already summoned the twelve and sent them to mission. The Greek word for apostle is “apostollein, apostolos” which mean ‘being sent’ and ‘the one being sent’ respectively. They have in themselves the full image of Christ as Teacher, Physician and Judge. 

photo c/o turnbacktogod.com

Like James, we Christians often fall to the same danger of laboring for the sake of greater position. We forget that it is not so much of laboring as doing service for the sake of the Kingdom. We overlook that ‘to be sent’ or “the one being sent’ is God’s own initiative; it’s His choice. On our part it is a privilege.

Christian life without a position will never make life less but Christian life without its true identity is not life at all. This is our identity: we have life precisely because Christ lives in us.

Let us contemplate on James’ identity as an apostle as he follows Christ until the end.

LV…the City, not the Brand!

Aside from being the “Entertainment Capital” of the world, Las Vegas also offers cheap gasoline J…Interestingly, Vegas is the place to have what you call ‘desert experience’.

(Background Music c/o Usher feat will.i.am: OMG; Bruno Mars feat Cee Lo Green and B.o.B.: The Other Side)

Sandy SoCal

Next stop is SoCal: San Diego, where the weather is always in two digits. I was told it’s also an ideal ‘haven’ for well off US retirees. Thanks to my special someone, Ms L.A., for the wonderful time.

(Background Music c/o Usher feat Pitbull: DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love)

Maybe Yes, Maybe No...

With the ‘scandal’ and ‘moral issues’ intimidating the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines for weeks now, many people find themselves either ‘defending’ or ‘questioning’ the credibility of the involved ‘leaders’, more so,  of Christ’s Church. A look at Carlo Carretto’s reflection may shed some light and help us to get involved in a reflective mind and amicable deeds.

  

How much I must criticize you, my church

and yet how much I love you!
You have made me suffer more than anyone

and yet I owe you more that I owe anyone.
I should like to see you destroyed

and yet I need your presence.
You have given me much scandal

and yet you alone have made me understand holiness.
Never in the world have I seen anything more obscurantist, more compromised, more false, yet never have I touched anything more pure, more generous or more beautiful.
Countless times I have felt like slamming the door of my soul in your face –

and yet, every night, I have prayed that I might die in your arms!
No, I cannot be free of you, for I am one with you, even if not completely you.
Then too – where should I go?
To build another church?
But I cannot build another church without the same defects,

 for they are my own defects.
And again, if I were to build another church, it would be my church,

not Christ’s church.
No, I am old enough. I know better!

Why , When, It's a Pity!

1. Why do we have to change ourselves just to fit in when being ourselves make us outstanding and special?
2. Why do we have to open our mouth to produce a sound when doing something in silence brings out life changing impact?
3.  Why do we have to wield too much energy to criticize other people when we can just effortlessly look at ourselves in front of a mirror?
4.  Why do we have to hurt people’s feeling, hurt them deep when there is massive room to hurt our gigantic pride?
5. Why do we complain our prayers were not answered when in them the word forgiveness was not even mentioned?

Too great effort for the wrong reason; Strong motivation with the wrong approach; Attractive appearance, pathetic personality.

It’s a pity that we always miss the point.  

1。為什麼我們要改變自己為了隨時某個單位的準側, 反而我們可以肯定自己又優秀又特殊的？

2。為什麼我們要開口講話為了產生聲音, 反而我們可以在沉默中做一些帶出改變生活的影響？

3。為什麼我們要施加太多精力去批評別人，反而我們可以在鏡子面前毫不費力地審視自己？

4。為什麼我們要傷害人的心，且傷害地太深，反而我們有巨大的空間傷害我們的驕傲？

5。為什麼我們抱怨我們的祈禱沒有獲得答案，反而在祈禱中我們沒有提及寬恕這一詞？

過大的努力為錯誤的理由;強烈的動機與錯誤的做法;造型美觀，可憐的個性。

很可惜，我們總是失落這一點。

The Boat is Sinking…

c/o graphicleftovers.com

They say people with the same situation riding the same boat will surely sink. For how can a lonely person comfort another lonely person? Both of them will just end up crying and dealing with their miseries.  Or how can one person correct the wrongdoing of another person if both of them find in each other company? Both of them will just dive into the sea of mistake and getting drowned is inevitable. Thus the situation calls for another somebody who can really speak from another perspective.

In the Gospel reading (Mt 11: 28-30) yesterday, Jesus invited those who labor and heavily burdened and promised to give them rest. Jesus is not just a third somebody who sees things differently. He labored as we did;  He carried heavy burdens as we did only that He carried the heaviest one. Therefore Jesus' invitation is very credible. He is actually riding with us in the same boat. Nobody understands us best than Him who became like us in every way except to sin. Thus, the saying two people having the same situation will never help each other is not applicable to Jesus because He sure can help. Just make sure He is the one riding with you in that boat. 

Kulang sa Pansin

(For Tagalog Speaking Only/ Para lamang ito sa mga naka-uunawa ng salitang Tagalog)

May mga tao talaga na sadyang “ipinanganak” na “kulang sa pansin”. Ang ibig sabihin ng ‘ipinanganak’ ay sa murang edad ng bata at sa mga baitang ng kanyang paglaki ang pagiging ‘kulang sa pansin’ ay umusbong sa kanyang katauhan. Ito ay bunga ng iba’t-ibang pangyayari katulad ng pagkasira ng anyo, masalimuot na sambahayan, baluktot na alituntunin at iba pa. Ang mga taong ‘kulang sa pansin’ ay napapalooban ng mga ugaling:

c/o Jhay Aquino

1. Walang bilib sa sarili
2. Mayabang
3. Mapanira
4. Balintulot sa kakayahan ng ibang tao
5. Ambang panganib, kapunyagi o kalaban ang palagay sa kapwa, kakilala man o kaibigan.
6. Hindi palalamang sa nakuhang karangalan, maging sa simpleng pakikipag talamitam
7. Nalulungkot at naiinis sa tagumpay at kakayahan ng kanyang kapatid
8. atbp.

Sinu ba sa atin ang hindi kulang sa pansin o dumanas ng pagiging kulang sa pansin? Lahat naman tayo. Ang pag-amin sa sariling kahinaan ay kaakibat ng katapangan at katapatan. Marahil ang dapat nating pagtuunan ng pansin ay sa sandaling makita natin ang ating sarili sa ganitong kalagayan ay saliksikin ang mga pamamaraan kung paano ito mabago at mapagtagumpayan. Sa kadahilanang ang ugaling ito ay puwing sa mata ng kapwa tao at hadlang sa paglawak ng sariling katauhan, ang pagtanggap at pagbabago ay hindi na magiging daing sa atin. Ang dalawang katanungan:

1. Batid ba natin na kulang tayo sa pansin? O marahil tayo ang mga taong may mata, ngunit hindi makakita, may tainga ngunit hindi makarinig?
2. Nakalaan ba tayo na maghandog ng sarili at maging mas mabuting tao?

Psssst!

Do I Know You? (Mt 11: 25-27)

To say you ‘know’ someone in a deeper sense means you have a close connection with that someone. In Chinese, they use two different words, “zhi dao” to express that someone is just an acquaintance, a person whom I heard about or I met before, and “ren shi” which indicates I have known that someone pretty well and had built a close relationship with him/her.

Jesus, in today’s Gospel speaks of “ren shi” to express how close and intimate His relationship with the Father and vice versa. Such a relationship is so intimate that it is unbreakable and inseparable, made possible by God being outside the boundary of time. But human beings are. Would this mean that there is no way we can establish such inseparable relationship with God?

When the Word of God took the human form, God entered into human history. The possibility came into reality when He lived among us. And to know Jesus is to know the Father. Now, it is no longer the question of time and possibility but a question of willingness: ‘Am I willing to establish a deeper relationship with God?”. The greatest opportunity is in our midst folks.  

[知道[ 和 [認識] 這兩個詞有不同的意義. 若我說我知道他, 就表達我見過他. 但若我說我認識那個人, 就表示我與他有密切關係. 今天在福音裡, 耶穌以 [認識] 這一詞來告訴我們祂和父有怎麼樣的關係, 且這種關係有多麼深, 永遠分不開. 父和予之間關係在一方面不屬於時間, 因為天主是無限的上主. 這是否讓我們無法與天主建立一個密切關係?  但在另一方面當 [天主聖言降生人]時, 天主就進入人了類的歷史時間, 而且[居我人間]. 因此, 我們現在有機會認識天主, 與祂建立一個密切關係. 但,重點是我們願否把握這樣已在我們面前的貴重機會?

San Francisco

Michael Buble’s rendition of ‘I left my heart in SF’ and The Rock’s own version of ‘I’ll be back in the summer after Lakers beats the Giants’ make a handful of sensibility. I’m grateful to my cuzzo Egrace for allowing me and for being part of my dream’s realization. Kudos Kaka.

(Background Music c/o Mutya Buena’s cover: Fast Car; Adele: Rolling in the Deep; Black Eyed Peas: Meet me Halfway)

Golden State

Headed to West Coast where Home awaited me. First stop: Elk Grove and Sacramento. It was a happy reunion and another hope fulfilled. I made it all mine.

(Background Music c/o Jason Mraz: Make it Mine)