Picture! Picture!

Someone said that photographers can be mean. Why? First, they frame you, then they shoot you, then they hang you on the wall.

In today’s Gospel (Mk. 1, 21-28), we hear how Jesus was the subject of the crowd’s amazement and astonishment because of His teachings and miracles. He was the favorite of “photographers” then, and He was the focus of everyone’s eye and the subject of everyone’s tongue. And so it was, but only for a while, for fame fades as fast as it comes.

There will always be framers and shooters, people who frame you and then shoot you down. Why? That’s because there will always be insecure and envious people. Like Jesus, may we learn to stay focused on our mission, and not so much on human approval or rejection. It’s true: What people say about us is none of our business.

Today, let us take time to acknowledge and appreciate the people in our lives who stand by us through the good times and the bad, who take us for what we are, and who believe in us no matter what. These are the people that really matter in the end. Real friends are few. We don’t need followers and fans. All we need really are believers and friends.

No one stays in center stage forever.  The loudest and the brightest will soon fade away, be forgotten, and be gone. Too bad if they made noise and lit the fireworks not for something or someone greater than themselves.

Today is National Bible Sunday. Let us stay focused on the Word of God which is solid and constant. There are so many worldly voices, ideas, philosophies, and ideologies that only confuse and manipulate us. May we listen to God more, and less to ourselves, and to human opinion.

It is the presence of God and the Word of God that keep us afloat. Let us not sink and drown in the sea of earthly concerns, pressures and problems. The Word of God is the only life vest we need.

I often tell people before I give a blessing to them to bow their heads in prayer, and smile! Yes, all too often we come to God sad, serious, even in tears, fully focused on our problems and petitions. That’s okay, but can we not come to God with a smile, trusting in His love, thanking Him for His forgiveness and patience, and allowing Him to smile at us and assure us that He is in complete control of everything and everyone in our lives?

When was the last time you really laughed? Laughter is a blessing. A family that prays together stays together. So does a family that laughs together. It is a blessing to have a family, or a community, or a circle of friends that knows how to smile and laugh. Please don’t forget that one mark of a true Christian is that of being joyful.

Speaking of photography, let us make sure that God is in the picture, and that we are not confined to our “selfie” or “groufie” tendencies. Let us not leave the Lord out of our picture. Let us put Him at the center of our lives, and in whatever we are going through in our lives.

Let us not forget the “big picture.” May God give us the grace to look beyond what meets our eyes, to seek broader horizons, and to go beyond our limited vision.

Think about this: “Staying positive doesn’t mean being happy all the time. It means that even on hard days you know that there are better ones coming.”

The CHS Alumnae Foundation Inc. invites you to Homecoming 2018 on Feb. 4 at the College of the Holy Spirit, 163 Mendiola, Manila. Registration starts at 8 a.m. Holy Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m., to be presided over by Fr. Manoling Francisco, SJ. There will be a Jubilarians’ presentation after lunch by the Classes of ’68, ’63, ’58, ’53 and ’48, and the Classes of  ’73 and ’78. Inviting all CHS alumnae to come together, remember, rejoice, and renew.

A moment with the Lord:

Lord, help us not to leave You out of the picture. Amen.