Sunday Reflections: Wait on Jesus

Another busy Sunday for us that we almost were not able to go to Mass. With lots of things to do, things left undone, and two little kiddos, it's really easy to just say, "we can't". But there really was no good reason for us to skip Mass again. Especially since we were able to attend a birthday party and also ticked off an errand on our list. Except maybe to say, "we're tired!"

With an hour of travel time going home from our errand, Waze says we'd barely have 5 minutes to go to Church. Looking out from the window and seeing our airport terminals from NAIAX, I just uttered a request to Mama Mary, sort of a reluctant wish to please let us be able to attend Mass today.

Perhaps my whisper of a prayer was heard. With the intercession of Mama Mary and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we got there on time. While the Sunday 6PM mass is not my favorite schedule because it is the most jam-packed, I consider it a blessing when Fr. Marthy Marcelo is the priest that officiates. He starts off like a clergy-version of Vic Sotto, you know, the comedy type. But the way he delivers the homily is very simple that it is easily relatable by the different classes that attend the same Mass and it is also marked with profundity that really reaches out to and touches the soul. But I'll never forget that one time he blessed my womb when I was 2 months post-partum! Medyo loko si Father ah! Hahahaha :)

Okay, I'll try to share here what I learned today. It may not be as eloquent or straightforward as Fr. Marthy but I hope I can get the message across..

How much time to we devote to the Word of God?

Fr. Marthy asked us how long would we be willing to listen to the Gospel and the Homily (which is usually finished in 15-20 minutes...oo na, I've been timing it since childhood! :)) Would we be willing to listen intently for 1 hour? How about 2 hours?? Or would our minds go back to the errands or events we have to attend to? This question tugged at me because our wedding ceremony lasted two hours instead of the usual 1 hour. It was fine by me but it really did change a lot of things in the program and of course there were some guests who were quite shocked! Hahaha :p Going back to the Homily, Fr. Marthy shared what happened to the Israelites when they returned to Jerusalem, after years of slavery in Egypt. As a time of rebuilding, they were able to gather altogether and listen to the Law or Word of God. Perhaps this was the first in a long time. They listened from morning til mid-day, and they cried. Let that sink in, "they cried".

Of Telenovelas and things of the world..

Fr. Marthy compares this with the faithful or the church-goers. Some have additional devotions to Our Lady of Perpetual Help on Wednesdays, others to the Black Nazarene on Fridays. Most of us probably hear Mass at least just once a week. And yet what are we doing, or rather, how do we accept the Word of God? Some are sleeping, some have their thoughts elsewhere. I'll admit myself that I always think of the kids when they're not with us. It's almost as if there is no reaction, outwardly or within us. 

He also shares how we've been hooked to things of this world. Case in point: our teledramas. Personally this has been true for me, how many times have I hung on to Kdramas waiting for each episode to be released in Netflix? Actually, how many hours have I wasted being glued to Netflix? Huhuhu.. Not saying that it's a bad thing but still, what is our priority as Catholic Christians? I guess it is such a wake-up call to hear Fr. say that we are able to wait and pine for telenovelas (which we hardly understand) but how often do we read or meditate on our Bible? 

Remember, the Israelites couldn't help but weep. They cried because they were so touched by God's Word and finally living His promise. And what about us every Sunday when we sit comfortably to listen to God's Word and sill we go "meh.." mostly. Yes, kadalasan napaka-N.R. (no reaction) natin.

This struck me as another area to improve on, not only for myself but for my family at least. 

• To be more purposeful as a Catholic.To not just show up and be a 'warm body' in church but to do my part by preparing spiritually. Read and meditate on the Bible. To be mindful of saying the Rosary and ask for Mama Mary's intercession. To be humble enough to go to confessions.

• To teach and guide our children early on. More than ever, I realize that it is never too early to share about Jesus to our children. To read them Bible stories, share anecdotes, share the lives of the saints. 

• Most importantly, to do our best in words and actions. Be a better spouse and a better parent.

Crying inside..

I'd like to say a prayer for the faithful who perished and those who were wounded in the Jolo Cathedral blast. They are our modern-day martyrs and my heart goes out to their families and the Church. It's like Christ being persecuted and crucified all over again. May their souls be comforted by our Mother Mary and may they find eternal peace with Jesus.

My heart also goes out to Catholics who feel voiceless. I felt so guilty when I heard certain people (at a Catholic school nonetheless) take turns at making light and making fun of our faith..and I couldn't do anything about it except to pray harder - for them, for our Church and for our faith. It's like having a piercing pain in the heart :(