Moments
Payback time, now
By Fr. Jerry Orbos
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 02:03:00 11/23/2008
Filed Under: Religion & Belief, Churches (organisations)
DURING a pilgrimage to the Holy Land recently, our Israeli guide told us the story that when President George Bush died, he was welcomed to heaven by almost everybody, except Moses who snubbed him and refused to talk with him. When asked why, his response was: “The last time I talked to a bush, the Israelites went wandering in the desert for 40 years!”
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Today is the Solemnity of Christ the King. In today’s gospel (Mt. 25, 31-46), Jesus talks about the coming of the Son of Man when the shepherd will separate the sheep from the goats, when the righteous will be welcomed and the evil will be snubbed and condemned. How will the Lord receive us then? It all depends on the kind of life we are living in now.
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Border crossings, especially by land, are tedious, inconvenient and often scary. One has to have the necessary requirements, the right answers and even the proper decorum before the immigration officer. Recently, at the Jordan-Israel border, one of our pilgrims was interrogated by security officials because he was seen taking a photograph. The point is that there are rules to be followed, and there are requirements to be complied with; otherwise, no entry. The same with the Kingdom of God. There will be a final judgment, a final reckoning. This should serve as a warning to those who continue with their evil ways, and a consolation for those who follow the path of righteousness.
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In the Philippines a lot of rules can be bent, a lot of requirements can be eased and even terms can be extended. While this experience makes us realize the gratuity of the Kingdom of God, this should not blind us from the finality of the Kingdom of God. There are requirements, there are dead-lines and there are bottom lines. Unless and until we come to terms with death and judgment, we may think that life is one fun-filled endless summer. Summer is not forever. Neither is winter, for the matter.
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It’s payback time. Now is payback time. Not tomorrow, or later when you and I are older and mellower, and definitely, not in the “last two minutes” of our lives.
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We Filipinos are a “maybe” people. And so it is that we operate much on our “baka sakali” (maybe by chance), “baka makalusot” (maybe at random), and “baka suwerte” (maybe by luck) mentality. While such attitude leaves much room for the power of the divine in our lives, we are reminded today by no less than Christ our King that we cannot and should not leave something as serious as our personal salvation to chance, randomness or luck. The rule is clear: Do good, and avoid evil.
Some people have this myopic vision that as long as they pray, do their religious obligations or contribute to charity, it is all right to be nasty, greedy and corrupt. It is not all right! The big picture is: whatever you did or did not do to the least of your brothers and sisters! The bottom line is love of God as expressed in our love of neighbor.
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What is true religion? Someone described it as: kindness in the home; honesty in business; courtesy and respect in society; thoroughness in work; fairness in play; help to the poor; understanding to the weak; forgiveness to the fallen; correction to the evil; forgiveness to the enemy; compassion to the fallen; reverence and obedience to God. Perhaps, as you listen to Christ the King today, you can add to the list your own idea of what true religion is.
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Do you share the same horizons with Christ the King? In other words, is His agenda, vision and mission also your agenda, vision and mission? It’s time to check our bearings. It’s time to evaluate our life direction, our values, our lifestyle. The time to do that is now, not when we are already about to face Him, or when we are already face to face with Him. The reason perhaps why we are not focused on Christ the King now is because we are still in pursuit of the service of other kings like money, power, pride, pleasures and politics. So, when oh when will you really and fully start serving Christ your King?
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Do you believe in the phenomenon called “Act of God”? Just when someone thinks everything is in place, everything is in order, everything is proceeding as planned, God steps in, and something happens, or something does not happen. We who follow and serve Christ the King must continue to believe that our King is in total control of everything and of everyone.
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Inviting you to the Eucharistic Congress with the Pink Sisters at No. 71 Hemady Ave., New Manila, QC on Nov. 29, 2008 from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with the theme “The Eucharist and St. Paul.” The speakers are Bishop Gilbert Garcera, DD, Fr. Roderick Salazar, SVD and Fr. Apolinario Ty, SSS. The procession of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction will be presided by Bishop Pol Jaucian, SVD, DD, bishop of the Diocese of Abra. Registration and snacks are free. For inquiries, call 722-8828/09172725177.
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Bahay Matanda invites you to a lay forum on “What you need to know about Parkinson’s Disease,” with Dr. Bimbo Diaz. For inquiries, call 373-2262/09174167849.
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A moment with the Lord:
Lord, help me not to postpone my payback time to you and to the world. Amen.
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