Yesterday, while I was on our way back from Albuquerque to the monastery, I saw a car on the street with a revolving red light on its roof. I knew that it was a police car or an ambulance car. The flashing red light atop tells us to move aside and make way. It is an emergency signal.In our medicine cabinet when we find a bottle marked with a picture of a skull and two crossed bones, we know that it contains poison. It signifies danger.
Today, the red light is on. The skull with crossed bones is being presented to us. In the Gospel of Mt 4:18-20 and the Readings from Jonah 2:1, God is calling all of us to follow Him. It is very dangerous. It is very risky to follow the Lord.
Jonah saw that in the First Reading. That is why he was called to be a prophet and disciple of God, and he said: "No way! You cannot fool me. I will not do that." Jonah tried to escape but the Lord pursued him. Jonah continued to escape but the Lord continued to pursue him more. Then in a raging storm, a big fish swallowed Jonah and before he knew it, the big fish expelled him. Where did Jonah land? Right in front of the island where he is supposed to preach!
It is very dangerous to follow the Lord. Jonah realized that and that is why he was afraid.
People who preach repentance eventually ask their listeners to hurt themselves. In the Gospel, Simon, Andrew, John, and James were called by the Lord. They were sent to preach repentance. They were sent to proclaim: "People, you are in sin and you must run away from sin."
Look what happened to Peter- he was crucified upside down. Andrew was also crucified on an X-cross. James was also killed in Jerusalem. John was not killed but he lived till a ripe old age of 95. Lonely. Alone.
It is dangerous to follow the Lord!
From the world's point of view, it could be very dangerous and risky to follow the Lord because you could be asked to do a difficult mission. It is dangerous because you have to give up the glitter of popular acclamation. It is dangerous to follow the Lord because you have to give up the selfishness of your own ambitions. You have to give up being popular and famous. You have to give up your wealth, fame and glory. You have to give up your riches. Because when the Lord calls you, He deos not ask you to be successful. He asks you only to be faithful.
From the point of view of God, it is only by living a dangerous life that we can discover the meaning of life. If you are ready to live a difficult and dangerous life, a holy and pious life with cross on your shoulders, then you will see the fulfillment of God's promise in your life.
The promise of the Lord is that you will discover peace, joy and achieve happiness. On the other hand, we could live a life of leisure and pleasure. We could stuff ourselves sick with food. We could also make ourselves really famous. Yet, after all of these are done, we still find our lives worthless and find ourselves meaningless.
So, what is our choice today? Is it a life that is difficult but meaningful or a life full of the world's pleasures but utterly meaningless?
Bless you all!
1 comment:
I prefer a meaningful life and I did had a meaningful life and I always talk about how hard my Barrio Siete life was. There are traces of bitterness in my stories because it was just a tough life and then you see all the extravagance. Though I prefer a meaningful like, yon lang po Lord na kaya kong iresolve! hehehe! Pramis! Peks man, di ko na lolokohin mga boylets ko! hehehe! Sila nga kung lokohin ako anoh?!
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