The story is told about a husband who introduced his family to their guest, thus: “This is Mary, my sister-in-law; and Tom, my brother-in-law; and Butch, my son-in-law; and Jane, my daughter-in-law; and of course, this is Francine, my wife—she is the law.”
What is the law of your life? What dominates and controls you and your lifestyle? In today’s Gospel (Mk. 12:38-44), Jesus teaches us that what matters most is not what we are or do externally, but who we are internally. God sees beyond the visible. He sees the heart of each one of us. He is heart-sighted.
Jesus reminds us again today that the heart of religion is not money, but the heart. Religion devoid of the heart can easily become a cult, or a business enterprise, all done in the name of God.
“If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be lesser and greater persons than yourself.” (Words of wisdom from the “Desiderata.”) Stop worrying about what others think about you. For all you know, they don’t even think about you. Focus on what God thinks of you, and that God cares for you, and not on other people who, for all you know, don’t care about you anyway.
I have seen so many people waste their health, values, relationships, and even their very souls in their pursuit of worldly treasures and pleasures. Let us go back to Psalm 46:10: “Be still, and know that I am God.” Money is not god. Our fear of poverty, deprivation, and rejection is not god.
How life can change in only a moment. When misfortunes happen — sickness, defeat, heartbreak, disappointments, death — a change of perspective, a paradigm-shift takes place. When we go from the fast to the slow lane, or we find ourselves at the roadside of life, a broadening of horizons occur, and true peace and freedom really begins. At such moments, let us listen to God speaking and humbly pray “Speak Lord, Your servant is listening.”
Let the world go by. People are always on the go, where to, they even do not know. Remember, the journey is not about going far and fast. The journey is going to the heart — to God’s heart, and other people’s hearts, and to your very own heart.
As we grow on, may we become more heart-sighted, and less mind-sighted, money-sighted, power-sighted. Remember, the heart sees more than what meets the eye, and does not lose sight of matters of the heart, which in the end are the ones that really matter.
On my 65th birthday last Oct. 1, I bought myself a new pair of rubber slippers. I don’t know why but I wrote “10. 2018” on the sole, perhaps, to remember the date of purchase, or maybe to find out in the future how long they will last, along with the hope that I will get to wear them for a long, long time. Yes, we all want to live long, or longer, but again, we ask: What for? Why? Let’s go more for quality time and payback time precisely because life is short.
Think about this: “It is not the shoes you wear, but the steps you take, and where you bring them that matter.”
On a lighter note, I told my driver, Bong, that I am undergoing chemotherapy and immunotherapy to fight cancer. He thought for a while and said: “Combination pala, Father, ng chemo at immuno, so ang tawag doon ay chemo-notherapy?!” If we are heart-sighted, we become more light-hearted!
A moment with the Lord:
Lord, like You, may I become more and more heart-sighted. Amen.
jorbos@inquirer.com.ph