Years ago, a lady approached me after my Holy Thursday recollection, telling me how happy she was that she attended it. I asked what touched her most from the talk. There were a lot of nice points she learned, but what touched her most, she said, was when she saw me praying alone at the chapel and kneeling down before the crucifix, before the recollection.
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In today’s Gospel (Lk. 18, 9-14), Jesus warns us against self-righteousness and spiritual pride. The best starting point in our journey to God’s heart is to say humbly and wholeheartedly: “O, God, be merciful to me a sinner.” The works of our hands and the love in our hearts are nothing to God’s tremendous love for us.
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God sees the heart. More so, God sees the goodness in the heart of each one of us. We often tend to see what is bad in others and in ourselves. But God sees and magnifies the goodness of each one of us. Love sees what is good and believes and hopes in goodness.
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“I thank you, God, that I am good.” That is the way a proud person prays. “I thank you, God, that You are good.” That is the way a humble person prays.
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“But as for me, may I never boast, except in the cross our Lord Jesus Christ…” (Galatians 6, 14) Come to think of it, we have nothing to boast to God. God owes us nothing. As it were, we are not entitled to any privileges from God.
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“Be good to me, Lord, because I have been good!” Have you heard others, or even yourself, bargaining with God, even to the point of managing or manipulating Him quid pro quo with our prayers, merits, and good deeds? Remember, God is good to us, not because we are good, but because He is good.
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I have never questioned nor resented the Lord in all my trials. I guess it is because I am confident of His love, and because I never really think of myself as entitled to His goodness and love. But in June 1987, I bargained with God and pleaded with Him to let our Papa live, reminding Him even of my sacrifices and works as missionary priest. Papa died. I was hurt, but I did not stay on with resentment, because I realized how I have received much more from God.
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“If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater or lesser persons than yourself.” This beautiful line from “Desiderata” should remind us again that it is not good and not useful to compare ourselves with others physically, financially, emotionally, and spiritually.
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Today is World Mission Sunday. Fr. Gerome Tugadi, SVD, left for Mexico yesterday for his first mission assignment. He and 120 Filipino SVD missionaries are “out there” following the Lord’s mandate to “go to the whole world and preach the gospel to all creation.” (Mark 16, 15) Let each one of us do our mission too.
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I will be 42 years as a priest this Oct. 25. My overriding feeling is gratitude for God’s faithfulness and love, for people’s prayers and support, and for so much meaning in my priestly life and ministry. There is so much more to learn about humility and love. To God be the glory! To me God’s patience and mercy. Amen!
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