“Follow Me”

 

Lenten Reflection #12

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may attain eternal life.” – John 3:16

What would you do if today Jesus tells you, “Follow me”?

In “Invitations” (The Chosen Season 1 Episode 7), Jesus invited Nicodemus and Matthew to follow Him.

Nicodemus struggled, “To give up who I am?” Jesus understood that he has a position in the Sanhedrin, a family and was getting advanced in years. But Jesus still hoped he would come. (Spoiler alert: Nicodemus chose to go back to his life in the next episode.)

Matthew, on the other hand, just got up and left everything – money, protection by the Roman praetor, the good life.

For many of us, doing a Matthew would be too drastic but unlike Nicodemus, we would still want to follow Jesus. This Lent how about being an in-between:

·        Be humble, forget your lofty position.

·        Give as you would to your family.

·        Serve as much as your aged bones or restricted schedule will allow.

·        Sacrifice by not indulging in the good life.

In today’s homily, Fr. Dave Concepcion issued another invitation for us this Lent: observe your family and friends. If there is one among them who are in dire need, ask yourself what you have done to help them. Ask them how they are. Do not be too full of yourself that you become insensitive to their situation.

 

References:      Mass Homily – Fr. Dave Concepcion

                        The Chosen Season 1 Episode 7 – “Invitations”

Glimpse of Glory

 

Lenten Reflection #9

“Beloved: bear your share of the hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God.” – 2 Timothy 1:8

 “There will be a moment of pain, but only a moment, then we shall be home in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ forever.” This was a line from Paul, Apostle of Christ said by St. Luke to his co-prisoners who were to be fed to the lions.

 The early Christians literally gave their lives for following Christ. What must have given them courage and hope was not just the thought Jesus was waiting for them but the vision of the Resurrection. It was the same for Peter, James and John in today’s gospel. They were given a glimpse of Jesus’ glory at the Transfiguration to sustain them through the Crucifixion until the Resurrection.

Today, most of us are lucky we are not called to die for our faith. But as followers of Jesus, we are called to die a little when we make sacrifices for the people we love and the community we serve. This Lent, when it feels your sacrifices and troubles are too much to bear, let your mind dwell on what’s going to happen on Easter. And pray to be given the courage of the early Christian martyrs. 

Perfect…Pain

 

Lenten Reflection #8

“So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” – Matthew 5:48

If Jesus had posted “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” on social media today, I would have commented, “Lord naman! With matching eyeroll hanggang bumbunan emoji)” How can you love a neighbor who regularly plays blaring music and parties till three in the morning disrupting your work and sleep and even gets mad when you complain? How can you love the woman who stole your husband? Or the co-worker who backstabbed you to get a promotion? Or the business partner who left you to deal with a debt in staggering amounts? (Disclaimer for the Marites out there: problems not all mine, for example lang 😉) And the list goes on.

Jesus does ask us to do hard things. Even St. Teresa of Avila was prompted to say, “If this is the way you treat your friends, it’s no wonder You have so few.” But then again, the road to heaven is not easy to trek.

As the priest said in today’s homily, “Perfection cannot be attained without pain. It is only painful in the beginning. Later it will no longer bother you as it becomes part of your system. It is the same with praying for your enemies. And the First Reading gives the key to perfection: ‘Observe them with all your heart and with all your soul.’”

So, this Lent, let aiming for perfection be our sacrifice.

References:      Mass Homily for today – Fr. Danichi Hui

                        Carmelites.org – “Quotes from Teresa of Avila”

Bite-sized Sacrifices

 

Lenten Reflection #6

“My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a contrite and humble heart, O God, you will not spurn.” – Psalm 51:19

The term “Lenten sacrifice” may be daunting for many of us. As a little girl, I was appalled by pictures of self-flagellants with bloodied backs. Walking the whole length of the procession barefoot like some people do in my hometown was beyond my abilities. My (hashtag all caps) SACRIFICE was to sit through the monotonous chanting of the Pasyon my Lola hosted at our ancestral house.

When I grew up, the concept changed to more doable sacrifices. But still, there were times I would falter because I could not sustain it for 40 days. When I backslid, I’d totally give up.

As I was preparing for today’s reflection, I came across a very helpful article about little Lenten sacrifices for those who can’t go the traditional route*. I thought it would be a good idea to make a list of bite-sized sacrifices for my own use:

No decadent sweets for dessert (Krispy Kreme, Mary Grace, Dairy Queen goodbye for now).

2.   No chocolates as weekend cheats (hello fat-free, made from real fruit Welch’s gummies muna)

3.   No detective mysteries and romcoms (binge watch only bible themed movies and shows like The Chosen)

4.   No match 3 and home design games. Play only those that are good for stimulating the brain like word games and puzzles.

5.   Instead of changing the topic after Papa tells the same story for the fifth time, wait until the tenth retelling.

How about you? What’s your bite-sized Lenten sacrifices?

Reference:       *National Catholic Register’s 13 Little Lenten Sacrifices 

                        https://www.ncregister.com/blog/13-little-lenten-sacrifices