KNOW THY PRIORITIES

One afternoon, I was preparing for my class the following day. I was making my PowerPoint presentation and searching the Internet for relevant photos when suddenly I saw a photo that caught my attention. It led me to an interesting article, then to a video, then to another photo. One tab of the windows opened after another. Without noticing it, I had been randomly surfing the net for hours, until the bell rang. It was time for prayers.

In our busy world replete with distractions, it is very easy to lose track of our priorities in life. We may grow too entertained with the side trips we make, or too active on the less essential elements of our life that we neglect the principal goal of our life. That is the case, if ever we don’t bother to set our priorities in life.    

In the gospel (Mt 23:23-26), Jesus reminds us about an aspect of our spiritual life that has to be prioritized more than anything else. He points to our internal disposition more than the external, as the essence of our spiritual life. He said to the "blind" Pharisee, "Cleanse first the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may be clean." What is inside of us, in the deepest recesses of our heart reveals our true identity and desires in life. From there, everything proceeds; all that we do and what we will become. Thus, our internal disposition is our priority more than the external, lest we become hypocrites whose concerns in life get mixed up and confused. What is inside of him differs from the outside.

In his first letter to the Thessalonians (2:1-8), Paul showed to us the goal which every Christian should prioritize: To please God who judges our hearts. Paul knew that by doing so, all else would follow. He was transformed into becoming a gentle apostle like as a nursing mother who cares for her children. He was even determined to share with the Thessalonians, not only the Gospel of God but his very self as well, as they had become his so dearly beloved children. His priority in life; to please God alone, transformed him, his work, and his attitude towards others. The secret to Paul's success in his ministry and mission is his consistency to the priorities he had set and embraced in his life; his consistency to please God alone more than man.

Today we celebrate the memorial of Sta. Monica. As a Christian mother, she knew her priority; that is, to raise her son, Augustine, to be a good Christian. Such priority is very clear to her, so much so that she did everything just so Augustine may become a good Christian. Only God knows how much tears Monica shed for the conversion of her son. And it paid off. Her son did not only convert to Catholicism. He even became a bishop, a doctor of the Church, and a saint of God. All this, because a mother knew her priorities.

How about us? What is our priority in life?