The great unknown

The story is told about an airline that introduced a special promo: “Buy your ticket now, and get your wife’s ticket free!” After great success the company sent letters to all the wives, asking: “How was the trip?” All the wives gave the same reply: “What trip??!!”

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Today is the Feast of St. John the Baptist. When he was born, little did his parents Elizabeth and Zechariah know what sort of a “trip” he was to take in his life. There were a lot of signs and wonders that accompanied his birth so that even their relatives and neighbors asked: “What then will this child be?”

There are a lot of things we don’t know and will never know in this life. The fear of the unknown should not cripple us. Like the parents of John the Baptist, we must have faith, and learn to trust.

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Every child has a life of his/her own. It is wrong for parents to think that they own their children. Every parent must learn to respect the plan of God for every child. Yes, parenthood is the painful, yet joyful, experience of letting go, and letting God.

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What if, because of difficulties and uncertainties, Zechariah and Elizabeth refused to cooperate with God’s plan and proceeded to raise the child according to their own plan?  What if they did not allow John to answer his call and do his mission? May we all become instruments of God’s plan. May we not become obstacles to God’s work of salvation.

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What is the proof that at the time of John the Baptist, the people were already advanced in technology? When the people asked Zechariah what he wished his son to be called, we read: “He asked for a tablet and wrote, ‘John is his name.’” Kidding aside, though, let us remember that every child starts out as a blank tablet.  Let us be very careful of what we write or input into his/her body, brain, heart, environment and character.

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On a personal note, I gratefully acknowledge the way our parents tried to inculcate values in our young minds when we were children. Early on, I knew that they had very little resources, but it was the presence of God in our family that made us confident and made us one in our resolve to live not only successful but also meaningful lives. Our faith in God made us hopeful and strong.

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Our government and religious leaders would do well today to reflect on how we are dealing with our followers and our “children.”  What we do or do not do can gravely affect them. May we not become irresponsible “parents” unto them!

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Speaking of parents, our prayers go to the family and loved ones of veteran comedian Dolphy (Rodolfo Vera Quizon). As of this writing, he is still in a critical medical situation. Let us pray for this man who has given so much joy, laughter, hope and life’s lessons to so many people. Again, Dolphy, who started out from humble beginnings in Tondo, Manila, is a big reminder to all of us that the future, the great unknown, need not be feared. With God, and hard work, it can be faced, and conquered.

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Last Tuesday, I counseled a young mother who lost her husband in a car accident three months ago. She was so devastated and just could not move on. Understandably. I listened, but I also challenged her. I told her that in the first 10 minutes or so that she was speaking, three words and phrases kept coming out from her, namely: “sana” (if only); “bakit” (why); and “paano kung” (what if). I pointed out to her that she kept on rewinding, kept on questioning, and kept on worrying, which make up the sure formula for defeat and stagnation. The first step in moving on is to step out of ourselves and make one step to reach out to God’s waiting hands.

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Sharing with you Thomas Merton’s prayer for the great unknown: “My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going;  I do not see the road ahead of me; nor do I really know myself; and the fact that I think I am following Your will does not mean that I am actually doing so; but I believe that the desire to please You does in fact please You; and I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing; I will not fear for You are ever with me, and You will never leave me to face my desires alone. Amen.”

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Let me end with a childhood memory that I have kept in my heart, to honor Papa who left this world 25 years ago. It was our town fiesta, and we, the Grade 1 Cub Scouts, were asked to join the parade. I did not have the complete uniform because my parents could not afford it, but I marched on with just a handkerchief on my neck.

Never mind if I had no shoes, no whistle, no belt, etc. What  mattered most was that when we passed our house, there was Papa shouting out my name, waving, and smiling at me, proudly saluting me, his favorite Cub Scout! That was all I needed as I marched on.

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A moment with the Lord:

Lord, You are all we need as we face the unknowns and the great unknown. Amen.