WHAT REMAINS OF

       We had this exercise in the pastoral counseling course I took. We were asked to imagine ourselves as coconut husks. As we imagined peeling off the layers of husk, we were invited to think of who we are to the world or the people around us.

       As I followed our priest-professor’s instructions, I identified myself as a business owner, a loyal friend, a trustworthy daughter, a dependable sister, a child of God, and so on. It took an effort to remove the husk that represented the hats that I wore in life. Because each time I removed one layer of the husk, or one role I had in life, I felt my self-worth diminish. Until there was only one identity left — a child of God — and this was something that could not be taken away from me.

       From the exercise, I learned an important life lesson: that our real identity comes from our being a child of God, not from the roles we play in life. Since then, each time I take on a role, I remind myself:

       “Tess, you are not your role. You are worth more than your role. You are God’s beloved child.” Tess V. Atienza (svp_tvatienza@yahoo.com)

Reflection: When you peel off the layers of husks, what remains of you?

Lord Jesus, please remind me to always anchor my life on You.

St. Julie Billiart, pray for us.

I would not have been as compassionate as Moses if the people had complained to me about the “wretched” food. There are many in the world who do not have any food, or at least very little. God has brought the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and they were on their way to the Promised Land. Where is their gratitude to God for this? Ingratitude is a terrible thing. Let us avoid it as best as we can.

4 From Mount Hor the children of Israel set out on the Red Sea road, to bypass the land of Edom. But with their patience worn out by the journey, 5 the people complained against God and Moses, “Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in this desert, where there is no food or water? We are disgusted with this wretched food!” 6 In punishment the Lord sent among the people saraph serpents, which bit the people so that many of them died. 7 Then the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned in complaining against the Lord and you. Pray the Lord to take the serpents away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people, 8 and the Lord said to Moses, “Make a saraph and mount it on a pole, and whoever looks at it after being bitten will live.” 9 Moses accordingly made a bronze serpent and mounted it on a pole, and whenever anyone who had been bitten by a serpent looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.

R: O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you.

1 [2] O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you. 2 [3] Hide not your face from me in the day of my distress. Incline your ear to me; in the day when I call, answer me speedily. (R) 15 [16] The nations shall revere your name, O Lord, and all the kings of the earth your glory, 16 [17] when the Lord has rebuilt Zion and appeared in his glory;17 [18] when he has regarded the prayer of the destitute, and not despised their prayer. (R) [19] Let this be written for the generation to come, and let his future creatures praise the Lord: 19 [20] “The Lord looked down from his holy height, from heaven he beheld the earth, 20 [21] to hear the groaning of the prisoners, to release those doomed to die.” (R)

Jesus knows that the things He is proclaiming in His ministry are difficult to accept. He understands the peoples’ lack of understanding. However, He also knows that there will come a time when everyone will understand, and then there will be no more excuses. While it may be difficult to believe some of the claims of the Scriptures, we do not have an excuse for our unbelief as there are literally millions who have gone before us and shown us what it means to be a man or woman of faith.

21 Jesus said to the Pharisees: “I am going away and you will look for me, but you will die in your sin. Where I am going you cannot come.” 22 So the Jews said, “He is not going to kill himself, is he, because he said, ‘Where I am going you cannot come’?” 23 He said to them, “You belong to what is below, I belong to what is above. You belong to this world, but I do not belong to this world. 24 That is why I told you that you will die in your sins. For if you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins.” 25 So they said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “What I told you from the beginning. 26 I have much to say about you in condemnation. But the one who sent me is true, and what I heard from him I tell the world.” 27 They did not realize that he was speaking to them of the Father. 28 So Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I AM, and that I do nothing on my own, but I say only what the Father taught me. 29 The one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do what is pleasing to him.” 30 Because he spoke this way, many came to believe in him.

think:  Ingratitude is a terrible thing. Let us avoid it as best as we can.

READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Exodus 31-34

We have always accepted that the ideal social norm is for fathers to go out to look for ways to provide for the family and for mothers to be focused on nurturing the family members. With the standard of life becoming more demanding, more and more fathers are becoming absentee fathers. If not busy with work elsewhere, they may be abroad for months or years on contract work. It is not uncommon then that fathers can be detached from their children. In turn, children of absentee fathers may grow up without any intimate, unique and personal knowledge of their fathers.

       The Father of Jesus, from whom every family on earth comes from, is the one who accompanies Jesus, His Son whom He sent. During the baptism at the River Jordan, when Jesus began His three-year public life, and during the Transfiguration, when Jesus started out His final journey to His Passion, the heavenly Father made His presence strongly felt. The Gospels tell us that in each of these occasions, a theophany (manifestation of God) happened. The voice of the Father was heard as He strongly affirmed Jesus as “My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” In turn, Jesus entrusted Himself greatly to His Father. Now, we hear Him declare: “He has not left me alone, because I always do what is pleasing to Him.” During the Last Supper Discourse, Jesus again says, “Behold the hour is coming and has arrived when each of you will be scattered... But I am not alone, because the Father is with me” (cf John 16:31-32).

       Even during His passion, Jesus would never cease to call God “Abba” or Father (cf Mark 14:36; Luke 23:34; 23:46). The Father seemed to be too quiet, not making His voice heard, but He was there.       

       Fathers have a very important calling in this regard. They are called to mirror the headship of the heavenly Father. A headship that is not simply a right and privilege but one that involves being a loving source of life, of providence, of guidance. A headship that means real (not virtual), tangible (not abstract), true (not delegated) presence! Fr. Domie Guzman, SSP

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: For fathers of families, how can you have more quality time with your family? For spiritual fathers of renewal groups, how do you balance your involvement and detachment on the affairs of your community and its members?

Dear Jesus, teach me and mold me to be a person after Your own heavenly Father.