Every two years, in the seminary, we have
to transfer to a new room assignment. During our transfer, we are asked to make
an inventory of our belongings. Recently, while transferring and making a list,
I was having difficulty moving to my new room assignment. I had a lot of boxes
of stuff with me. I noticed how much clothes I have, which I never wore in the
past six months. They were merely there kept in my cabinet. All this time I
kept them for I thought they were important. I was wrong. By keeping these clothed
I was, in one way or another, depriving others of having something to wear. I
started giving some clothes to my brothers, taking only what is essential for
me.
We learn to love whatever we deem
important. And we keep them in our rooms, in our life, in our hearts. Ano mang
MAHALaga para sa iyo, ay mahal mo. Ano/Sino ang MAHALaga para sa iyo? Ano/Sino
ang mahal mo? Sila ang nariyan sa puso mo! Where your treasure is, there your
heart is also. Nasaan ang puso mo?
Christ teaches us, in the Gospel (Mt
6:19-23), what matters most in life; treasures that neither moth nor rust
corrode, nor thieves break in and steal. These are the heavenly treasures;
treasures that last even after we die. Ito ang MAHALaga (These are important).
Ito ang mahal (These are precious). Yung iba mura na o minumura natin.
Ano ang mahal para sa iyo? Ano ang mura
para sa iyo? Ano ang minamahal mo? Ano ang minumura mo?
Store heavenly treasures that last forever,
more than the earthly treasure that in a second may be gone. We store earthly treasure when we refuse to
spend and rather live miserably because we are afraid we may lose whatever
material things we have. We store up earthly treasure when we enjoy material
wealth thinking we can't take them anyway. We store up earthly treasures when
we think of the legacy we leave behind when we die. Our attitude towards
material wealth determines what we value most in this life. We store heavenly
treasure when we spend whatever is entrusted to us to help other people. We
store heavenly treasure when we enjoy material wealth, not at the expense of
others poverty. We store heavenly treasure when we think of the legacy we shall
embrace in heaven. Our material wealth is only means and not ends in itself.
Don't live your life on earth as if there is no life after it.
Once there was a priest who died. After his
burial, his brothers entered his room to clean it. The only thing they found is
a pair of slippers, and few used clothes. Throughout the life of that priest he
had given away whatever was entrusted to him; his time spent with people whom
he administered to, his talents he used to build the kingdom of God on earth,
his resources he shared to the needy. The pair of slippers and few clothes he
had left behind were poignant reminders of the thousand memories of
selflessness in service of God and others, even to the point of giving
everything one's have. Indeed, when we die the only thing that is left to us
are the very things we have given away in our lifetime; the joy we spread, the
laughter we share, the love we manifest; the very things we deem important in
our life; the very things we love most.
At the gates of heaven, God will not ask us
how many mansions we build; how many cars we drove, how many shoes we wore. God
will ask us if we have love, if we have rightly love the things entrusted to
us, if we have love the persons in our life.
Ano/Sino ang MAHALaga para sa iyo? Ano/Sino
ang mahal mo?
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