I wait with longing for the Lord, my soul waits for his word. – Psalm 130:5
MY POWER AND ENERGY SOURCE
Being
an ambassador for God and country in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is
not child’s play. Diplomatic or consular work here is, as I jokingly
say, a “25/8 job.” This is the second largest destination of Filipino
labor migrants. Estimates say there are between 500,000 to 800,000 OFs
(Overseas Filipinos) here.
According to UAE data, as many as 40,000 OFs come to the Philippine
Embassy yearly in Abu Dhabi or to the Philippine Consulate General in
Dubai as distressed, meaning those who ran away from their employers for
varied reasons.
Friday, which is the start of the weekend, or the only weekend for
those who need to work on Saturdays, is when the more than 100 OFs
organizations hold their induction events, anniversaries and Christmas
parties. Calls for help come round the clock. One can be burnt out with
all the challenges and activities of such a busy post.
I thank God that UAE is an open country that allows multiple faiths to
be practiced. As a Light of Jesus, a CFCHandmaid of the Lord, and a
Regina Rosarii Contemplative Association member, I find strength and
sustenance for my body and soul to continue my work by attending Holy
Mass and reading His Word. Grace Relucio Princesa
1ST READING
Ezekiel
reminds us that faith in God makes demands on how we act. It is easy to
say that we believe in God; the challenge comes when we are asked to
demonstrate that belief. Our faith cannot be mere words; it must find
expression in our daily lives. How well are you living the faith you
profess?
Ezekiel 18:21-28
21 Thus
says the Lord God: If the wicked man turns away from all the sins he
committed, if he keeps all my statutes and does what is right and just,
he shall surely live, he shall not die. 22 None of the crimes he committed shall be remembered against him; he shall live because of the virtue he has practiced. 23 Do
I indeed derive any pleasure from the death of the wicked? says the
Lord God. Do I not rather rejoice when he turns from his evil way that
he may live? 24 And
if the virtuous man turns from the path of virtue to do evil, the same
kind of abominable things that the wicked man does, can he do this and
still live? None of his virtuous deeds shall be remembered, because he
has broken faith and committed sin; because of this, he shall die. 25 You
say, “The Lord’s way is not fair!” Hear now, house of Israel: Is it my
way that is unfair, or rather, are not your ways unfair? 26 When
someone virtuous turns away from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies,
it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die. 27 But if the wicked, turning from the wickedness he has committed, does what is right and just, he shall preserve his life; 28 since he has turned away from all the sins which he committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
P S A L M
Psalm 130:1-2, 3-4, 5-7, 7-8
R: If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?
1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord; Lord, hear my voice! 2 Let your ears be attentive to my voice in supplication. (R) 3 If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand? 4 But with you is forgiveness, that you may be revered. (R) 5 I trust in the Lord; my soul trusts in his word. 6 My soul waits for the Lord more than sentinels wait for the dawn. 7 Let Israel wait for the Lord. (R) For with the Lord is kindness and with him is plenteous redemption; 8 and he will redeem Israel from all their iniquities. (R)
GOSPEL
Jesus
picks up the same theme as Ezekiel and places it within the context of
the faith of the most prominent religious leaders of His time. This
displeased the scribes and the Pharisees. Apart from the fact that they
are used as a negative example, Jesus is also not afraid to let people
know that He is not impressed by how the scribes and the Pharisees live.
Matthew 5:20-26
20 Jesus
said to his disciples: “I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses
that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom
of heaven. 21 “You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, ‘You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.’ 22 But
I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to
judgment, and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raqa,’ will be answerable to
the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna. 23 Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, 24 leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Settle
with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him.
Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge
will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. 26 Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.”
REFLECTION
HASTA MAÑANA
It
was semestral break in the seminary. One morning, I did a general room
cleaning. In the afternoon, I opened my letters which had already
accumulated to a pile about six-inch thick. My attention was caught by
an unusual envelope which had nothing written on it but the words
“Enjoy.” I opened it and inside was a free meal stub for two at my
favorite restaurant, sent by a friend. My heart skipped a beat. I will
have a good dinner. But when I checked the back of the stub. the promo
had already expired.
This reminded me of a story about a man named Bill. He had never gone
to church in his life. One day, he said, “When it freezes in June (June
is summer time in the States), then I will go to church.”
One year there was an unusually cold spring and it stayed that way into
June. The temperature dipped to freezing point for several nights.
Everyone thought about what Bill had said. Perhaps this time he would
finally attend church. And he did. One Sunday, Bill made his first
appearance in the church building: the organ was playing, six men
carried him in. Bill finally made it, but he was lying in a casket
instead of sitting on a pew.
Don’t wait until you’re “frozen” before you decide to enter God’s
house. Meditate on today’s First Reading. Ezekiel speaks of the need for
the wicked man to turn away from his sins, for a time of accounting
will come. In the Gospel, Jesus uses the parable of settling issues with
an opponent.
Like me and Bill, we are all fond of the mañana habit,
or putting off for tomorrow what can and should be done today. More
frightening is spiritual procrastination, for he who procrastinates in
this life will have an eternity to regret it. Let me end by
reconstructing a poem once forwarded to me. I
love to be with God’s people to read the Bible and pray, To sing songs
of salvation, so I’ll go to church today. But procrastination is my sin,
it has brought me nothing but sorrow. Ah, I know, I shall be converted…
Tomorrow. Fr. Joel Jason
" Lord, help me to not put off for tomorrow what I need to do today — to put You at the center of my life and follow Your will."
No comments:
Post a Comment