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?
