People who wonder whether the glass is half empty or half full are missing the point; the glass is refillable!”
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In today’s Gospel (Mt. 20, 1-16a) we hear about the parable of a generous landowner who hired laborers who grumbled against him for the wages they received at the day’s end. God is a generous God who gives lovingly and freely, and we are so stingy, so calculating, and suspicious in our giving, feeling more privileged and more entitled than the rest.
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“If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself” (Desiderata). We miss the point when we focus on our gifts and forget the giver of our gifts. We also miss the point when we focus on our fellow recipients of gifts and forget the common source of our gifts.
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An envious person is never a happy person because there will always be reasons to be envious of others, from birth till death. Trust in God’s wisdom and love, and you will do away with envy in your life.
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Someone said that happiness is not a matter of altitude, but of attitude. Below are some attitudes that make us happy and fulfilled:
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GRATITUDE. Yes, gratitude is the best attitude. A complaining and grumbling person is a miserable person because he/she is so focused on things, persons, and situations outside. Choose to be grateful, and you will be a happy person!
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LOVE. Love not only makes the world go round. It also makes the world go on! Put love in everything you do, no matter how humble, and you will find meaning and joy to go on. Along with the work of your hands, remember to put love in your heart.
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OFFERING. Be an offerer, not an offender. Make every day an offering to God, and to people. Make even your sufferings your offering. Anything or anyone offered unto the Lord is a sacrifice, i.e., becomes holy (from the Latin words “sacrum” [holy], and “facere” [to make]). The more you offer, the more you become lighter and happier.
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BRIDGE. Be a bridge, not a wall. Reach out. Let people cross over. Don’t be the stumbling block of graces, and blessings. Don’t be a kill joy. Don’t accumulate blessings—pass them on. Yes, especially these days, be a “bridge over troubled waters.”
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EXTRA MILER AND SMILER. Go beyond your comfort zone, beyond the call of duty, beyond what is required, and you will truly be happy. Let your daily prayer be: “Lord, help me walk another mile, just one more mile; and help me smile another smile, just one more smile!” Remember, grace really begins and abounds when you go the “extra mile” and give the “extra smile.”
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Go beyond yourself, see the big picture, make a difference. Share what you have so that others, too, may have. Be generous like our heavenly Father. Let us lift up, not put down one another. We win as one, and we journey together.
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Inviting you to a webinar series, “Canon Law for Lay People,” from Sept. 26 to Oct. 31. It will be presented by Fr. Jerome Marquez, SVD, JCL, a Canon Law professor. Topics include “Rights and Duties of Lay & Associations in Church,” “Lay Faithful on Pandemic Times,” and Vatican new instruction on Renewal of Parishes. Register on FB page: Canon Law Series.
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Inviting you to a Mass on Sept. 23, feast day of Padre Pio, at 10 a.m. which will be livestreamed via Divine Word Media on Facebook and YouTube.
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A moment with the Lord: Lord, instill in us life-giving and love-building attitudes. Amen.
jorbos@inquirer.com.ph