Unexpected teachers…

I was off my blog for quite a number of days and I apologize for not posting any update for your reflections, but anyways, I’m now back and is giving you something to ponder as you come to observe the 5th and the last week of Lent. Life in the monastery is never the same everyday. There are days when our most cherished free moments are still squeezed for work and that's the way it is in a community like mine. Bear with me my dear ones!

Everytime I would go off my blog for a number of days and then when I get back to it, I feel a bit lost and doesn’t seem to know what direction to take anymore. I feel like I’m a child who’s lost in the path and crossroads of life.

We all have experiences with children. Many of you are parents. Some of you have younger brothers and sisters. I was once a “parent” too, and my “children” were those inside the classroom waiting for me to teach them the lesson for the day.

Oftentimes, children do not listen when we tell them things. For instance, they may not listen when we tell them to brush their teeth before going to bed, or when we tell them to put things in order after using them, or when we tell them to look left and right before crossing the street.

Then one day, we suddenly see them washing the dishes, or diligently arranging their toys in their proper places after playing with them. Then we say, “what a miracle! Why are you so well-behaved now?”
Then they say, “My teacher told me to do this.”

All of us have experienced this. My experience with my nephews and nieces taught me that they would not listen to their uncle but they could listen to their teacher in school. We tell them what to do and they do not listen but when the teacher tells them what to do, they listen.

As teacher, I had numerous experiences with parents coming over the school just to see me and air their complaints against their sons who would prefer to do what I told them to do at home and refuse to listen to what they tell them to do.
This is called selective listening. Children hear their parents, and they hear their teachers. But they only follow their teachers, and not their parents. Well, I guess and I think children are entitled to that. It is a form of childishness.

This is also found in the Gospel. John the Baptizer said to the people, “Repent.” But the people didn’t call him ascetic or a fanatic.
On the other hand, the Lord said, “We must eat with sinners. We must reach out to sinners.” And the people said, “The Lord is too lenient.”

Was there anything wrong with John the Baptizer? Was there anything wrong with the Lord Jesus? No.
There was nothing wrong with the parent, and neither was there anything wrong with the teacher.
It was just another case of selective listening.

People just choose to listen to what they want to listen to. When they do not want to listen, they play deaf and dumb.
We all know people like this, don’t we? They suddenly grow deaf when we remind them of their debts. They suddenly grow deaf when they are criticized. They say, “I am not sure I understand what you are saying.”
But when they hear something nice about themselves, or there is a word that there will be a salary increase at the office, they hear it so clearly, even though they are a mile away. That is called selective listening.

Now, as we reflect on Luke 7: 31-35, it will be good to ask ourselves: Who are those we listen to? Who are those we do not listen to?
Some people will say, “Why are you listening to that person? He’s a womanizer.” Other will say to themselves, “Why should I listen to that person, she is pro-contraception, or she is pro-abortion. Or, “Why should I listen to him, he doesn’t have a wife himself?”

Some of us have our prejudices. Some of us have our biases. Some of us, no mater how old we become, remain childish. We continue to select only those things we want to listen to.
In doing this, we also lose.

I should say, “Everybody is in the same boat.” All of us do not know everything. But we can listen. Because we have a lot to learn from people for whom we think we have no respect.

Who are the people for whom we have no respect?
Who are the people for whom we have incorrigible prejudices?
Who are the people for whom we think we have nothing to learn from?
If we could only stop thinking this way, then I am sure we will have a lot to learn from these unexpected teachers.

You have my prayers as we come to the final days of Lent in preparation for the observance of the great Passion, Death and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus.
Bless us all!