FAITHFULNESS IN A VOCATION

Last Tuesday, I attended a meeting wherein we discussed a fundraising project. There were plenty of ideas presented on how to strategize and increase the profit of the said project. While things are being deliberated and argued, a question popped in my mind; Are we not religious, called by the Lord to follow Him, in a radical way? After the meeting, I continued meditating on this question and realized how much our community seem to be engaged with various activities; so called apostolates. Other activities seem to deviate from the way Dominic chose for our forefathers. One may say time changed. New situations demands for new solutions. The way of the old cannot be the ways of today. True. However, in the midst of changing facets of religious life, there remains to be unchanged - Ante omnia, fratres carissimi, diligatur Deus, deinde et proximus, quia ista sunt praecepta principaliter nobis data.

In the gospel, the Lord is criticized by the Pharisees for breaking the law of the Sabbath. He allowed his disciples to work during the Sabbath. However the Lord presents himself as one knowledgeable about the law (and a precedent case). He knows what the law means; the reason behind the law. Epikeia! He did not break the spirit of the law, though he seemingly did otherwise to the letter of the law. He did not break the law for he knew what the law means. 

In the midst of progress, it is tempting for us to confuse our vocation (of being religious) to those professions we embrace under the pretense of apostolate; of being a successful academician, administrators, managers, fund raisers etc. But how much have we strive to be faithful to the call of the Lord (Follow me!) towards the path of charity, which is the soul of holiness? How much have we love? 

Mother Theresa once said “We are not called to be successful, but faithful.” May all that we do in the community make us faithful to our religious vocation, more than being successful professionals. This we ought to keep in our minds or else we might break not just the letter but more so the spirit of our vocation to love.

NANOTECHNOLOGY AND THE GIFT OF INTELLIGENCE

God created us in his own image and likeness. He created us with the capacity to think. Among the animals, we are the only specie who can inquire about the wonders we see around, who can recreate these wonders through our own hands, and who can use them to improve our ways of living. And this gift of intelligence is given to us with the mandate from god to use it to cultivate the entire creation.

At the dawn of civilization, man asked “What is the world made of?” As the discovery and development of new technologies, man was able to know about atomic particles; electrons, neutron, protons, and the likes. Recent studies speak of nanotechnology. These pertains to the study of the smaller particles than the atomic paticles. It opens a new vista on how we perceive and can use the things around us. Attached with this technology is the capacity of man to manipulate and control the tiniest particle known to dictate the character of this said particle, to conform to the intention of the manipulator’. It enables man to change the natural characteristics of a thing. Say for example a wood that is usually combustible by a fire can be a fire recitant material by changing and altering the atomic composition of the wood into an atomic composition comparable to that of an adobe slab. Wonderful! Imagine a world where no house can catch a fire. Our fire men can surely rest for a while. Side by side with the good usage of this technology offers, is the danger of using it to malevolent intent such us the development of military armament, and weapons of mass destruction. Think of a nanotech-bombs that can obliterate an entire cities and transforming it to ruins?!?  

The wonderful gift of intelligence can either be creative or destructive. It can built hospitals, schools, green cities, etc. It can manufacture food and clothes for the destitute. But it can also push others to a mass power and worldly riches. Together with the gift of intellect, God gave us the mandate to use our intelligence to develop the entire creation, as God would have us do. We are tasked to be stewards of the creation. We need not be nanotechnoligist, atomic scientist to be a good steward of God’s creation. Even in simple ways, with the proper use of intellect, we can be God’s good stewards. When was the last time you had used God’s gift of intellect to take good care of His creation, more so of your brothers and sisters?  

THE POWER OF TWO

In the Gospel, the Lord Jesus Christ sent the twelve apostles two by two, to preach repentance, to cast out demons and to heal the sick. The Lord sent them to proclaim to everyone, in cities and villages, the Good News of salvation. Notable in this “diaspora” is the manner by which the apostles were sent: two by two. Would it be more profitable to send the twelve on their own and go to twelve different places? In that way they would be able to preach the gospel in more place, unlike the fewer places that the six pairs of apostles would be able to reach. But the Lord chose to send them two by two.    

The commandments of the Lord are summarized in two instructions alone; You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself (Luke 10:27). The love of God and neighbor is the gist of the Lord’s commandments. It is not the Love of God alone but of neighbor also. For if someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen (1 John 4:20).

 The Lord sent his apostles two by two for his most important precepts are two; Love of God and Love of neighbor. This precepts cannot be accomplish by less than two persons. One cannot truly love God without loving his neighbor. He would be deduce to being a liar. The apostles cannot authentically preach about love of God and of neighbor if they themselves have not experience such love; such difficulties and struggles in loving God and their “neighbors.” The apostles’ words could have been powerless if their very own lives did not manifest the very message they would like to communicate. Words proclaimed are empty, unless charged with actions; with witnessing. These words uttered by someone who experienced what these words mean, would really mean what they say. They would be able to preach the Lord’s Good News authentically, in words and deeds. All these through the help of one’s companion, with whom one breaks his bread with. The Lord, thus, sent his apostles two by two that they may be able to preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words (St. Francis).

We too, every day, are being sent by the Lord, not just two by two but by tens, hundreds, even thousands. We are being sent, as a community, as a family, to proclaim the Lord’s message of love in this modern world. We know the message and the precepts; love of God and neighbor. We have our companions; plenty of them. The great challenge is how are we to preach effectively; with powerful words. “Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses (Paul VI, Evangelii Nuntiadi).” We have to be witnesses of the message we would like to communicate to others. We have to love God, more so our brothers, our sisters. For it is only that we can call our preaching, that resonates from the very lives we live, a sacra praedicatio.    

GOD LOVES US!

The love of the Lord for us is manifested in the Holy Spirit sent forth upon us, in the daily bread we receive, and in the strength that moves us to love others. His love for us is ever present in our midst. It never leaves us. Though we look around us and see the misery and suffering of some our neighbors, we need not doubt about the Lord’s abiding love for us all. He care for us His children in this valley of tears. He provides our daily bread. He moves us to act towards the alleviation of the suffering of our brothers and sisters. The first community of disciples experienced the Lord’s love for them, and allowed Him to empower them to comfort those who mourn and weep in their midst.

The Lord sent forth the Holy Spirit upon His disciples, gathered in the upper room, ten days after He ascended to Heaven. Tearful, confused and afraid, the disciples prayerfully waited for the promised of a Paraclete. The Lord did not fail them. The Holy Spirit descended upon them as promised. That very moment, the disciples felt the care and love of the Lord for them. The fear, confusion, and thoughts of being abandoned were banished and were replaced by the Lord’s love and care for His disciples.

The community of disciples, with the converts for Judaism to Christianity never lacked the things they needed for the good Lord provided. No one kept the blessing he had received from the Lord for himself alone. They held all things in common, making available everything that they had to the disposal of those in need. They learned how to share.  

The lord’s love for the primitive Church did not remain within the community of disciples. The love they received from the Lord moved them to help those who are in need around them. They manifested the love of the Lord through concrete acts of justice and charity. They distributed alms and healed the sick.

The Lord loves us. This is evident in the past experiences of our forebears; in the first community of disciples. The suffering and tragedies around us, in our midst, should not discourage to believe that the Lord care for us. Let these be our inspiration to call for the Holy Spirit and to remind us of the Lord’s immense love for us, greater than the harsh realities of life we see and experience today. Let His love moves us to do something to lift our neighbors from their miseries, just like what the first disciples did. Let His love permeate in us, because in the end it His love that would save us.  

ROMEO AND JULIET, AND WEST SIDE STORY: CONVERGENCE AND DIVERGENCE

Universal truths are expressed, time and again, in different manners, wrapped with varied colors and decors. The truth that love knows no boundary, even death and warring families and gangs, is well articulated in two magna opera of distinguished masters in their own field of expertise. Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy, first printed in 1597 written by William Shakespeare. This great work is adapted in the West Side Story.  West Side Story is a romantic musical drama film, showed in 1957, directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins. These two great works have points of convergence and divergence when put side by side with each other.

These literary masterpieces have plenty of similarities; points of convergence. They both adapted literary works that serve as the backbone of their stories. Romeo and Juliet borrowed from Ovid’s Metamorphoses (Pyramus and Thisbe), Xenophon’s The Ephesiaca (a potion that induces a deathlike sleep). West Side Story is an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Rome and Juliet. The characters of the two literary works almost perfectly correspond to one another; Romeo and Juliet with Tony and Maria, Prince Escalus of Verona with Lieutenant Schrank and Officer Krupke, Mercutio (Montague) with Riff (Jets), Tybalt (Capulet) with Bernardo (Sharks), Friar Laurence (provided the “poison” to Juliet) and Anita (cause of “death” of Maria). Both works begin with a street brawls. Romeo and Juliet begins with the street fight between the Montague and Capulet servants, in Verona. West Side Story commences with the brawl between the American gang named Jets, led by Riff, and the Puerto Rican gang named Sharks, led by Bernardo, West Side's Lincoln Square neighborhood in Manhattan. One of the significant rising actions in these works is the meeting of the lovers in a ball. Romeo meets Juliet in the ball organized by Juliet’s Family (Capulet). Tony meets Maria in a ball too. These initial meetings are nourished by the lovers secret conversations over a balcony, in the case of Romeo and Juliet, and over a fire exit, in the case of Tony and Maria. Another rising action is the killing which involves the male protagonists and antagonists. In Romeo and Juliet, Mercutio (Montague) is killed by Tybalt (Capulet) who in turn is killed by Romeo (Montague). In West Side Story, Riff (Jets) is killed by Bernardo (Sharks) who in turn is killed by Tony (Jets). Towards the end of the stories, both male protagonist, Romeo and Tony desire to die. Romeo dies by drinking a poison. Tony is shot by Chino (a member of the Sharks). Both the ends of the stories mimic the unity gained through the deaths that happen. The death of Romeo and Juliet (and Paris) cause the unity of the feuding family of Verona (Capulet and Montague), and the Prince Escalus of Verona. The murder of Tony causes the unity between the Jets, Sharks, and Lieutenant Schrank and Officer Krupke.          

Though they may have similarities, Romeo and Juliet, and the West Side Story have differences two; some elements present in the other while lacking in the other. Romeo and Juliet involves a family. West Side Story presents a conflict between two warring gangs, more so a clash of races (American and Puerto Rican). One happens in Verona while the other in West Side's Lincoln Square neighborhood in Manhattan. Romeo has an infatuation with Rosaline, a Capulet, while Tony solely falls in love with Maria. Juliet has Paris as her lover, while Maria remains to be a damsel protected by her kins. Romeo and Juliet secretly marry each other through the help of Friar Laurence, while Tony and Maria do not. The father of Juliet has the idea of marrying Juliet with Paris after the death of Tybalt (Capulet), while the father of Maria is almost perfectly silent throughout the film. The “death” of Juliet is due to the poison given to her by Friar Laurence. The “death” of Maria is due to the make-beliefs of Anita. After finding Romeo dead, Juliet takes her own life, while Maria, after witnessing the murder of her lover, Tony, does not take her own life.    

Romeo and Juliet, and West Side Story may have a lot of similarities and differences, of points of convergence and divergence, which span through centuries of existence, but they remain to be faithful and effective in fulfilling their purpose. That is to communicate to the readers, and viewers a universal truth about love; love conquers all.