THE story is told about a nun whose car ran out of gas. She went to a nearby gas station to buy gas, but there was no container available. She walked back to the car and found a bedpan. She filled the bedpan with gas, carried it back to her car, and started pouring the contents of the bedpan into the car’s gas tank. All the while, two drunks were watching everything across the road. One of them said: “If the car starts, I’m turning Catholic!”

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For some people, there are a lot of “ifs” before they turn to God. As it is, a lot of people are closed, suspicious and unbelieving when it comes to the Divine. Are you one of them? Do you need miracles and wonders, or do you need to go through crisis moments before you turn to the Divine?

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In today’s Gospel (Mt. 22, 15-21) Jesus rebukes the malicious and scheming Pharisees who want to trap Him using their worldly wisdom and logic with a question that involves politics—that of paying taxes to the Romans. Jesus’ answer is simple and to the point: “Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God.” It is also a rebuke to people who see the world, and who see their worldly concerns to be bigger than God.

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It is disgusting and sickening to hear lying politicians and government leaders spill out their convenient truths before the public. What I have noticed is that they are getting better and bolder all the time, and somehow they seem to get away with it. Truth indeed has become such a lonely word. Justice has become so selective, and public service has become so anemic. This is a simple case of God being left out, and gospel values being evicted in order to uphold what is profitable and convenient.

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The greatest enemy of commitment is that which is convenient. When values are gone, then anything is possible. Remove God from the picture, then even the frame collapses. Remove God from the heart, from the family, from a nation and from the world, then there will be chaos, disorder and confusion. At this point, let us all ask ourselves: Am I an instrument of God’s truth, or am I an instrument of my selfish convenient truth?

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These days, there are so many going for profit, and we have so few prophets. There are so many who are focused on what is convenient, and there are so few who uphold commitment. A person who sees what is profitable and what is convenient is of this world, while a person who upholds prophetic commitment is of God. God, give us more committed prophets in this our day and time!

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Calling on the clergy to come together and discern, in line with the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines’ call for “Circles of Discernment” on the current situation and social issues in our country. In line with this, there is an invitation from Msgr. Manuel Gabriel to meet on Oct. 28, 2008, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Diocesan Center of Cubao, 41 Lantana St., Quezon City. There is a need for the clergy, individually and collectively, to pray and discern together, in line with their role as prophets, their concrete participation and response to the worsening poverty and corruption plaguing our people today.

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Today is World Mission Sunday. Last week two of our Filipino SVD missionaries arrived from East Timor. Fr. Alan Bondoc, SVD and Fr. Ferdie Resuena, SVD, who are on home vacation, related to me their mission experiences especially at the time of the civil war. At that time, there was already a plane sent from the Philippines to help evacuate our expats there, but they chose to stay in their mission, to be with their people, at a time when their people needed them most. That’s commitment. That’s way beyond what is convenient.

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Please continue to pray and support our Filipino missionaries “out there” who have left home, country and family, braving deprivation, loneliness and even persecution for the sake of the Gospel. Please call 7217457/4147044 (SVD Mission Office) or email jerryorbos01@yahoo.com on how to be a part of our world mission.

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Mission accomplished at 64. Fr. Joel Maribao, SVD went back to the Lord last Oct. 16 after 37 years as a missionary priest, the last three of which were spent at our retirement house in Christ the King Seminary, Quezon City, offering much suffering and pain due to muscle and nerve disorder. Even in retirement, he entertained thoughts of applying for foreign missions. He served as provincial superior of the SVD Central Province for five years. Prior to that he was very much involved with the SVD Education apostolate with his MS in Educational Management, Ph.D. in Organizational Development and Planning, and his MSNA from the National Defense College of the Philippines. Ever jolly and personable, Father Joel, from Ronda, Cebu, reported back to his Creator, with a joyful smile and a salute saying: “Mission accomplished.” Writes Fr. Gil Alejandria, SVD: “With his demise, the Philippine SVD witnessed the end of a rare example of a multi-faceted and multi-tasking intellectual and administrator.” And if we may add, a personable, committed missionary and confrere.

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Bantay Matanda invites you to a lay forum on “Understanding Behavioral Problems in the Aged” on Oct. 25, 2008 at Jannsen Hall, Christ the King Seminary, 8 a.m. to 12 nn. For inquiries please call 3732262 or 09174167849.

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A moment with the Lord:

Lord, help me to go beyond what is convenient and stand for my commitment. Amen.