No shortcuts

The story is told about an English teacher who asked her students: “If ‘can’t’ is the shortcut for ‘cannot,’ and if ‘wouldn’t’ is the shortcut for ‘would not,’ then ‘don’t’ is the shortcut for … ?”  And the whole class shouted: “Donut, Ma’am!”

Today is Most Blessed Trinity Sunday. In today’s Gospel (John 3: 16-18), we hear how God so loved the world that He gave us His only Son. Take note that He did not only love the world but so loved the world! There is no shortcut in God’s love. He loves us the long way, all the way, and by every way.

The Trinitarian love is the model of all true love. True love takes time, and loves all the time.  True love is patient, consistent and persevering.  True love takes no shortcuts, and does not shortchange either.  We all have much to learn about true love ways.  Let us not stop learning and let us never say “Enough!” when it comes to love.

Last week, I traveled halfway around the world to be with the family of our 100-year-old Uncle Ben Muñoz, who left home to join our Creator last May 14.  What a loving person he was. His love for God was so evident in all his words and ways.  He raised such a God-centered family, down to his grandchildren. From the stories I heard, and from my own personal encounters with him in the past, he was steadfast in his earthly mission and so focused in his desire to go to heaven. His earthly journey was filled with challenges and difficulties, but he did not take shortcuts.  He walked the long road, and he walked his talk.

Let us pray for our country, especially tomorrow, Independence Day. Let us pray for peace. There are no shortcuts on the road to true peace.  Violence and killings in the long run will not lead to true peace.  Violence will lead to more violence, and the killing never ends. The whole movement of the Trinitarian love is about giving life, not taking away life.

Take note that what is happening in our country and in the world today is all about the battle between good and evil. There is spiritual warfare going on, and it matters whose side you are on.  Let us be constant and vigilant in our fight against evil.  Let us not be intimidated or scared.  Evil may triumph for a while, but we believe that in the end, goodness will prevail. Let us continue to listen to the voice of God in a world that is so full of mixed signals, half-truths, threats and lies.

Sharing with you some thoughts I had on seeing so many people in a busy airport: So many people, different features; so many colors, from different shores. Where are they going, what are they seeking? What keeps them moving, what are their dreams? I dream of a world that is free, that stops for you and for me; I dream of a world that’s at peace, not cold and indifferent like this. What are they saying, is anyone listening? what is the matter, why do we quarrel? Why are we fighting, aren’t we all the same?

“Some people enter your life as a blessing, and others as lessons” (St. Teresa of Calcutta).  As we journey on, we encounter all kinds of people who are either blessings or lessons to us.  Whatever they are, the point is that we go on, and we grow on.  And this can truly happen through spirituality, an ongoing relationship with God, without which we are like ships without an anchor, easily tossed around by the wind. Be anchored, be rooted in The Trinity, and everything will fall into place come what may.

God loves us sooo much. How much are we loving Him in return?  A real relationship with God begins when we realize how much He has blessed, forgiven, and provided for us. But it really blooms and bears fruit when, out of gratitude, we, too, love Him in return. Payback time! We can’t continue to be at the receiving end all the time.  We, too, must somehow give back and repay the goodness of the Lord, so that when we come face to face with Him, we can say to Him:  “Lord, I know that I am a sinner, but You know that I really tried to love You, too, in my lifetime.”

A moment with the Lord:

Lord, remind us that there are no instants and no shortcuts in true love. Amen.