Present always

Someone once said that where two or three Filipinos are gathered together… there will be picture-taking!

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In today’s Gospel (Mt. 18, 15-20), Jesus tells us: “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there I am in the midst of them.” Yes, may we be constantly aware of the presence of the Lord in our midst. A lot of our stress, problems, and issues can be solved if we take cognizance of and acknowledge the presence of the Lord in our hearts, in our relationships, in our families, in our country, in our very world.

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I am reminded of a husband and wife who quarreled a lot. What helped them resolve their miserable situation? The Holy Rosary. When their tempers start to flare up, and they begin to spew sharp words, one of them would say: “Rosary! Rosary!” And that is the cue for them to stop, and to focus on the presence of a third party in their midst. It not only calms them down but also makes them realize the futility of using hurting words. And they are made recipients of tremendous grace through prayer. Try prayer. It works.

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“Be still and know that I am God” (Ps. 46, 10). This has become a mantra to me. The awareness that God is present, that He is in control, that He loves me, and that He is always with me, has helped me overcome my fears and wipe away my tears. It has also made me realize the value of trusting in God joyfully, and has pointed to me the road of sacrifice and humility, which leads to serenity. Peace comes when we finally learn to stop playing God. Try humility. It works.

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The Lord tells us today: “If two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my Heavenly Father.” Let us all agree today, no matter how impossible it may seem, that the Heavenly Father will give us a good, able and selfless leader to lead our country in 2016. We pray to the Lord to give us the best. Let us not settle for the merely passable, for someone who is puwede na, or puwede na rin kasi wala nang iba. Impossible? That is why we must keep on searching, and must double, triple our praying, together.

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Aside from picture-taking, what do we Filipinos love doing when we come together? Talking—especially about other people.  What a waste of time, and what an unproductive way to pass the time. And cruel at that, when we speak ill of others, and participate in spreading all sorts of lies, rumors and speculations. Instead of talking of/about other people, why don’t we just pray for them? I lose respect for people who talk about other people. I know certain people who just keep quiet and do not take part in the game called rumor-mongering. These people I admire and respect.

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The Lord is truly present in the Holy Eucharist. Be it in a church full of people, or in a TV Mass reaching out to thousands all over the world, or in a simple chapel with 10 people gathered together, surely God is present there. Last Sept. 2, the Lord manifested His presence when, during the evening Mass, one of the attendees, a young man named Adrian, shared how he had found his way to us at our SVD Mission Center in San Jose, Batangas. He was just passing by, he said, and walked in when he saw that a Mass was going on. During the sharing period, he confided that he had earlier attempted to commit suicide out of depression. He wept as we all prayed over him, praising God for bringing him into His presence that evening.

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In another Mass, the Lord’s presence opened up and enlightened the mind and heart of a person who was bent on filing a court case against her siblings because of property and inheritance issues. Indeed, more things are wrought by prayer than we can imagine. When we come into God’s presence, let us surrender our cases and problems. We will see the light, and the impossible becomes possible.

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On a personal note, this issue about the congestion of containers in the port of Manila brings back memories of our Papa, who was known as the “father of containerization” in our country. In the early 1960s, he was sent by the Philippine government to study containerization in Italy, particularly in Trieste and Genoa, and in the United States. He was away from us for a year, and it was a difficult time for him and for us. What made us strong? Prayer. Coming into the Lord’s presence made everything meaningful and bearable.

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XVD president Manny Mendoza is inviting all ex-SVD seminarians and their families to the annual grand homecoming and reunion at Christ the King Seminary on E. Rodriguez Sr. Boulevard, Quezon City, starting at 8 a.m. on Sept. 13. We will gather together in the Lord’s presence and renew our friendship and our mission together.

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Sept. 8 is the birthday of Mama Mary, our Mother. It is also the birthday of the Society of the Divine Word. Together with our founder, St. Arnold Janssen, SVD, we pray: “May the darkness of sin and the night of unbelief vanish before the light of the word, and the spirit of grace, and may the heart of Jesus live in the hearts of all.”

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A moment with the Lord:

Thank You, Lord, for being present with us, always. Amen.