Msgr. Jeronimo Podesta, Mercy, and Compassion

                                                          Msgr. Jeronimo Podesta (courtesy of misionst.blogspot.com)

Unforgiveness is a harsh tyrant when allowed to rule the hearts of men. The Archbishop of Buenos Aires knew it and what he did was most telling. Regarding this episode in Pope Francis’ life, Margaret Hebblethwaite tried to remember the instances and wrote the short narrative:

When Podesta was dying, Bergoglio was the only Catholic cleric who went to visit him in the hospital, and, when he died, the only one who showed public recognition of his great contribution to the Argentinian church (The Guardian, 14 March 2013).

He came to visit Monsignor Jeronimo Podesta, a Catholic bishop who did something very wrong, who as a man of the cloth fell from grace, borrowed Cupid’s wings, and got married. Definitely, what he did constituted a betrayal of trust placed by Mother Church and a sin that brought shame and dishonor upon all priests of Argentina.

For this, Monsignor Podesta, the offending party, has been judged, looked down upon and treated badly, ostracized and nearly forgotten. From a bishop to a poor man dying in misery, he was alone when Cardinal Bergoglio visited him.

As the Metropolitan Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Cardinal Bergoglio was the legitimate representative of the offended party, the Catholic Church. What Bergoglio brought to the offending party was God’s sweet mercy, not torture. Scolding was absent during the short visit, in fact there was no exchange of words when Cardinal Bergoglio sat beside the prelate, subdued by lingering sickness, lying in affliction, agonizing, humbled.

Cardinal Bergoglio was the only Catholic cleric who went to visit him. The archbishop gently held his weak hands as if holding a relic and prayed with him in silence. Only mercy was there! And compassion was present! And so much love! The picture of Jesus immediately calls to mind, the image of the forgiving Master telling the woman caught in adultery: “Neither I condemn you.”

The shepherd Bergoglio prayed that God’s forgiveness be upon the dying man and that the heavens smile upon him again as he departed from this life to join Him in His Kingdom. Oh, what an experience of the freshness of the Good News! (cf. Sandro Magister, L'espresso. 2 December 2002).

One could’ve sensed drops of tears rolling down Podesta’s cheeks that very moment when the sole visitor arrived and more tears flowing after the visitor left.

WORTHY RECEPTION OF THE SACRAMENTS

            Christian discipleship is none other than what St Paul describes as putting off the old man of Adam and sin, and putting on the new man, Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 15:21-22, Rom. 13:14). The expression “putting on the new man” denotes living in the state of grace and the basic means to do so is the worthy reception of the Sacraments. 

Thus the Vatican Council II recommends “It is therefore of the greatest importance that the faithful should easily understand the sacramental signs, and should eagerly frequent those Sacraments which were instituted to nourish the Christian life” (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, n.52).

            The Seven Sacraments, far above the ancient rites and rituals of the Jewish Law, are symbols of grace of the New Testament that can reenact a historic event, that of the Paschal Mystery. We proclaim the Paschal Mystery as the event that saves us from sin and satan when we sing after the Consecration: “Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again. “The Sacraments actually represents the past, the present and the future of our salvation, and it actually effects what it proclaims.

Sacred symbols

            The Seven Sacraments are representations of Jesus Christ, acts or deeds that He established, the essence of which constitutes the earthly reality of its sublime transformation into a life of grace. These “sacred symbols,” as St Augustine puts it (De civitate Dei), can make us holy in the absolute sense. Translating this into something more concrete, when a disciple worthily receives the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist in the sign of consecrated bread, he actually receives not the substance of bread the way it appears, but the Substance of the Master in the form of bread. And the disciple is sanctified as he receives Him.

Baptism

            The Sacrament of Baptism is another concrete example. It is the fulfillment of John the Baptist’s ministry (Mk. L2-8). The signs take on the form of ordinary water which is poured over the head of the child with the words: “I baptize you in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” Before these signs were spoken and performed, the child was yet a pagan, a child of darkness, not of the Light.

            At the very instant when the sacred signs were executed and pronounced, the child became a child of God, a brother of our Lord Jesus Christ, a Christian disciple with the original sin symbolically and actually washed away (Gal. 3:27). He gets to participate and involve Himself in the priesthood, prophetic and kingly functions of Christ.

            In one of the missions, an American Indian made the following proclamation after his Baptism: “I am now a child of God. You, too, are a child of God. We have only one Father in heaven (pointing his finger up). Hence, you are my brother (and he danced around with his drum). Indeed, we all are brothers and sisters in Christ!” Yes, “we are God’s children”, exclaims St. Paul, “But if we are children, we are heirs as well; heirs of God, heirs with Christ” (Rom. 8:16-17). St. Leo the Pope was more emphatic:

“Remember your dignity, O Christian. You are a participant in the divine nature. Do not go back to the despicableness of your former condition.”

Matrimony

            Grace is also discharged by God’s ordained ministers through the Sacrament of Matrimony. Can you imagine the great dignity it brings to a man and a woman bonded together in love? This sacrament establishes an indissoluble, uniting, force that gives them the grace to love each other in a holy manner.

            The sexual act, sometimes considered as a shameful biological function, is elevated into sacred performance by the married couple, symbolically fulfilling their becoming one. As. they consummate the union in accordance to God’s Will, they sanctify each other precisely by doing the act. It is our Christian belief that sex inside of Matrimony is a blessing, just as sex outside of marriage is a curse.

            Hence, the most intimate loving expression created and designed by God is made holy in Christian marriage. Finally, the sacramental grace of Matrimony can help husband and wife to fulfill the duties of their marital state — that of assuming the role of Christian parents.

Priest as poor instrument

            Since the Sacraments are deeds and acts decreed by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, they communicate grace ex opere operato, that is, by virtue of their own power. Thus, for instance, the Sacrifice of the Mass can discharge and carry out the grace of our salvation even if the priest celebrating it is a great sinner. No one can prevent God from using a poor instrument such as a priest in all his weaknesses, since God’s saving grace is stronger than the weakness of His instrument.

             The minister’s state of unworthiness has no influence on the fulfillment of the sacrament as long as the recipients are well disposed to receive the grace. Sanctifying grace, the essence by which we have become disciples, is present and alive in us who worthily receive the Sacraments.

            Hence, parishioners can witness the enduring desire of every priest to be worthy of the sacraments by striving to live a holy life.

DOERS OF THE FAITH

Without passing judgment, some Catholics are no longer practicing their faith, while others have become a scandal to the community. Others are products of a broken home like a decayed fruit hanging off a decayed tree. The Greeks, the Romans, and the Jews used the idea that a tree is to be judged by its fruit. Epictetus once said: “How can a vine grow not like a vine but like an olive, or how can an olive grow not like an olive but like a vine” (Discourses 2:20).

Our Blessed Lord said: “A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. Every tree is known by its own fruit” (Luke 6:43-44). A person is inevitably known by his actions. A Christian without good acts is a Christian who pays lip-service (Mt. 15:8); in other words, a useless Christian.

Pope John Paul II once publicly begged forgiveness for the crimes and sins committed by those who profess to be Catholics.

I would like to ask the question: How did the early Christians learn the basic principles and tenets of Christianity? There were few manuscripts then and printing press was not yet invented. There were neither radios nor televisions, neither big Cathedrals nor podiums, neither MP4 Players nor computers. How then did the early Christians learn genuine Christian manners, Christian words, thoughts, and behavior?

Well, they heard how the disciples of Jesus spoke and they saw how the Apostles acted. The Apostles were telling the first Christians “follow the things that we do, speak the way we have spoken to you” (1 Thes.1:6, 1 Cor. 4:16).

“Imitate us as we imitate Christ” (1 Cor.11:1). “Learn from everything we do and say.”

The first Christians were doers of the Faith. They taught by their very lives and acts, and thousands were converted (Acts 2: 42-47). Pagans were edified watching their individual and collective acts. The first Christians were known by their example, their witnessing, their fellowship—which were so powerful to behold (Acts 11: 19-26).

St. John the Baptist exhorted the crowd on the demands of the Faith. He stressed that living the Faith must be concrete and not made up of empty words. In answer to the question “What ought we to do?” his reply was pointed and action-oriented: “Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none And whoever has food should do likewise.”

To the tax collectors he said “Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.” Likewise, to the soldiers he said “Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone, and be satisfied with your wages” (Lk. 3:10-14).

Our Christian Faith demands a corresponding Christian response from everyone (James 11:9- 25). We have to be doers of our Faith. The Word of God can be made active and alive if we want to, and be made operational in our lives.

Christian disciples are enjoined to conduct ourselves in accordance to the Life, Word, and example of our dear Lord when He was “made Flesh.”

The only authority that speaks with such impact and power, the only authority that is respected by all is the authority of witnessing through action and good example. The only way to experience being Church in the new millennium is to profess the Faith by our practices. The time is now. Christian disciples, let us show the world that we are followers of Christ.

WHAT IS THE MISSION OF A CHRISTIAN?

In the Old Testament, God spoke to Jeremiah: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you” (Jer. 1:5).

In the New Testament, St. John the Baptist told the world about his mission: “I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, make straight the way of the Lord” (John 1:23). And preaching for repentance and conversion from evil ways he did!

The Greek word for “to consecrate” is hagiazen, which is from the adjective hagios, meaning “holy and separated.” Hagiazen means to be set apart for a mission.

Every Christian disciple is a consecrated person and the consecrated person means someone who is singled out for a mission. Jesus prayed to the Father: “Consecrate them in the truth. As you sent me into the world, so I send them into the world” (John 17:17-18).

By virtue of Baptism, we have become priests, prophets, and shepherds to others. By virtue of Confirmation, we are called to become Christ’s witnesses to the world. Accordingly, it is pathetic for a Christian disciple to remain idle and unproductive in this crazy world.

Woe to us if we fail to implement the change we want to see, if we fail to do what needs to be done and fail to make the world a better place. “You want evil to spread, let the good men and women among you do nothing,” writes the British statesman Edmund Burke.

           

But why necessarily set out on a mission? Pessimists say there is no hope because the world is intrinsically evil. Efforts are futile because men are so corrupted and given to the flesh they cannot be changed. It is said that St John Maria Vianney, the Cure d’ Ars, coming back to the rectory after having finished his heavy pastoral duties (sixteen hours of hearing confessions among others) was met by a close friend, a good Catholic, was told: “Your unselfish work is useless. The world cannot be changed.”

The saint replied: “With that coming from you, it is necessary to intensify my pastoral work even more.”           

A Christian is summoned by Jesus to be the salt of the earth and light of the world (Mt. 5:14). Indeed, we must glow in the dark valley of the world and in the shadow of death of worldliness just as the lighthouse serves as guide for the ship lost in a stormy night.

Our mission is not a call to accomplish the “mission impossible” or the “impossible dream.” An Arab proverb says that “if you cannot be a Star in the sky, then at least be a candle in the house. If you don’t’ have a large net to convert a multitude of pagans, use a hook. If you don’t have a harvest tractor, use a sickle”.

The intention for this sense of mission, which is very much connected to volunteerism, is a pure willingness to do everything for God’s glory and human development—and nothing more.

A Christian may satisfy some conditions to enable him to accomplish his mission. First, it is imperative to remain prayerful. No mission can be done without first communicating with God in fervent prayer. A profound interior relationship with God is a prerequisite to do exterior services for others. The man for others must first be a man of God. No disciple must dare then to accomplish a mission if it does not stem from the inspiration of God Who is within.

The second special ingredient is the practice of humility. Sharing in the Christian mission entails a lot of hard work, which most cases, is deprived of corresponding immediate consolation in sight. To accomplish a mission then is to reject the temptation of working and searching for an outright, visible sign of success. We prepare the soil, plant the seed, and water the seedling. But it is God who causes the growth (1 Cor. 3:7). Then, others (our co workers in God’s field) may do the harvesting. A humble disposition is a sign of genuine discipleship in the vineyard of the Lord.

The third necessary condition refers to obedience to the bishop of the diocese, to the Parish Priest. What would happen to the vision-mission of the Church if all apostolic persons and volunteers are hard-headed and noncompliant, preferring to do things their own way? Where will the mission go if each volunteer does what he likes and likes what he does?

Let us learn from St. Peter and see what holy obedience can do. The whole night the disciples at Lake Genesareth labored in vain and caught no fish but, at the word of Jesus, St. Peter obeyed and once again lowered his net. And it was filled with “a great number of fishes” (Lk 5:5-6). For the Christian who values the virtue of obedience, the miraculous catch does continue to happen everyday.

SERMON ON THE MOUNT

UNIQUENESS OF HIS TEACHINGS

The Ten Commandments are the minimum requirements and anyone who has fulfilled all of them is nothing but a good Jew, a good citizen of the Jewish society. It seems that the New Testament spirituality, which is the same as the Gospel, demands more from a Christian disciple.

In the Gospel, the Sermon on the Mount is quite difficult to follow but it is where we can encounter the fundamentals of Christian discipleship and the uniqueness of the Master’s teachings. A follower who wants to evaluate, assess, or test his awareness of Christian living, in addition to knowing how he is as a person and professional, is compelled to read the Gospel of Matthew, chapters 5 to 7, where the Sermon on the Mount can be found.

The more I read the passage, the more I am convinced that the Sermon on the Mount contains the official but shocking doctrine of Jesus. It is a catechetical summary of the mind of the Teacher, an opening of His heart to the inner circle, to his closest friends. Jesus spoke with such power that it was written of the listeners: Jesus finished these words, the crowds were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as their Scribes” (Matthew 7:29).

Jesus said, “You have heard... You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca’ (‘good for nothing’) will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna” (Mt. 5:21-22). He seems to tell me that the Old Testament condemns actual murder, while Christian discipleship already condemns mere anger in one’s heart and in one’s lips. If I am serious to follow Jesus, I really have to be careful and loving when reprimanding or correcting a subordinate or a kasambahay.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’. But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away…  And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it. It is away better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into Gehenna” (Mt. 5:27-30). The Old Testament forbids the act of adultery, while Jesus forbids the inordinate use of our senses to stimulate our carnal desire.

GOLDEN RULE

Even the formulation of the Golden Rule of Jesus is different, which is in the positive form. The Jews have the Golden Role in the negative form. The Book of Tobit commands: “Do to no one what you yourself dislike” (Tobit 4:15a). This was quoted by the Jewish Rabbi Hillel while giving instruction to a Jewish convert, “What is hateful to yourself, do to no other.”

Among the Orientals, it was Confucius who taught the Golden Rule as one of the basic principles of life, but also in the negative form, “Do not do unto others what you do not want others do unto you.”

When wondering why Jesus taught the Golden Rule in the positive form, it occurs to be that negative form involves nothing more than NOT DOING or SIMPLY REFUSING TO DO certain things. It is never difficult not to do things. That we refrain from doing injury to anyone else is not something special. One can forever restrain himself from doing injury to others by mere inaction on one’s part.     

In comparison, it is unique to perform a positive act and to add something constructive to what is lacking. It takes great effort to open your window and share food or money to the beggars when the traffic light is red. It is hard to offer time and muscles for Gawad Kalinga to build a little house for the homeless. It appears that the Golden Rule in the positive form is superior than the ones formulated in the negative form. “Do to others whatever you would have them do to you” (Mt. 7:12).

BE GENTLE AND LEARN TO FORGIVE

Again, the uniqueness of the Christian teachings established during our Lord’s ministry here on earth stands out when compared with the “tit for tat” principles of the Old Testament. It is written in the Book of Exodus: “But if injury ensues, you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe (Ex 21:23-25).

The Book of Leviticus (chapter 24, verse 19) states: “Anyone who inflicts an injury on his neighbor shall receive the same in return. Limb for limb, eye for eye, tooth for tooth! The same injury that a man gives another shall be inflicted on him in return.”

The “eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth” or “tit for tat” principle is taken from the LEX TALIONIS of the code attributed to Hammurabi who reigned in Babylon from 2285-2242 B.C. The axiom sends off a clear signal: if a man has inflicted an injury on any person, an equivalent injury shall be inflicted upon him. The impression given is that LEX TALIONIS sounds similar to “the law of the jungle” which is savage and vindictive. In truth, however, it is a law that limits vengeance and hatred.

In the earliest days vendetta was characteristics of tribal societies, and it was dreadfully disproportionate. For instance, if a man of one tribe was injured, all members of that tribe geared up and went off to take vengeance, most likely_, on all members of the tribe of the man who committed the injury. In contrast TALIONIS then became the set standard law of just proportion. It lays down the principle that only the man who committed the injury must be punished and the punishment must be no more than the equivalent of the injury he has inflicted—hence, the notion ‘an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.”

When our Blessed Lord came, He said: “You heard that it was said, ‘an eye for an eye, ‘a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, offer no resistance to evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, offer the other one to him as well. You have heard it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate enemy’. But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you” (Mt 5: 38-48).

In effect, what Jesus is telling us now is that vendetta or retaliation, even the most proportionate one, has no place in our Christian discipleship. Our Lord’s command even goes as far as for us disciples to love our enemies.

It may be well to know that Jesus never asked us to love our enemies in the same manner and in the same degree that we love our dearest ones. To love with the love of philia is to love in the natural manner, to shower our loved ones with hugs and kisses. To love with the love of agape is to love in the supernatural manner, of which it is not necessary to demonstrate one’s love. With agape, in a supernatural way, we love our enemies. Hence the song goes “Oh, I love you with the love of the Lord… “

           

But why do we have to love our enemies, one is bound to ask? It can only be because God loves both the saints and the sinners, that’s why. He sends the rain and lets sun shine upon the just and the unjust. And if we are God’s children_, we ought to strive to do what He does, to pattern our attitude and conduct with His. Jesus, the Lamb of God, in the mystery of the Incarnation, took upon Himself the sins of the world (Is 53:6b, Jn. 1:29).

He searched for the lost sheep. He came to heal the sick and not the self-righteous (Mt. 9:12-13). He forgave Matthew, Mary Magdalene, the adulterous woman, and all who believed (Mt 9:9-13, Jn. 8:1-11). His first words when He was hanged upon the saving tree were: “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do” (Lk. 23: 34).

           

The uniqueness of Our Lord’s teaching lies here: to forgive as God forgives, to love as God loves, embracing all, and excluding no one.

KENOSIS, CHRISTMAS, AND THE CROSS

Our Blessed Lord did not promise paradise on earth to His chosen disciples. He never pledged to provide a fat bank account, a grand lotto win, or a house and lot in order for the disciples to follow Him. No, He never guaranteed any material possessions in exchange for their response to His invitation. Jesus made no pretensions nor swore to give them assurances of earthly comfort.

On the contrary, He made it clear to them, speaking His mind as He said: “Whoever wishes to come after Me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me” (Mk 8:34). Jesus never minced words as He apprised His disciples on the demands of Christianity.

Today, great harm has been done to the Church as we, knowingly or unknowingly, have watered down the truth on discipleship that our Lord Himself has set. We allow a lot of people to think that Church membership and Christian discipleship is easy, that they have nothing to lose nor do they have to give up anything. We never made moves to correct this mistaken notion.

Christianity of today has become a religion of addition and instant comfort. “Hey, sister, if you join us, you’ll get these benefits. Hey, brother, if you become a lay minister, a lector, or a choir member, you’ll be treated in a special way.” No, the exact opposite is true. Jesus, from the very beginning, founded a religion of subtraction. And Christianity, as you grow deeper, requires a series of deductions: “Empty yourself… deny yourself… be poor, and depend on nothing and nobody but God. Never expect compensation nor rewards in the here and now.”

Kenosis is emptying

Kenosis is the Greek word for “emptying oneself”, deciding to become a nobody, a non-entity, a zero. Jesus emptied Himself, and we find the perfect expression of kenosis in St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians:

 “Though He was in the form of God He did not regard equality with God something to be grasped at. Rather, He emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness. And when He found human in appearance, He humbled Himself, becoming obedient to death, even to death on a cross” (Phil. 2:6-8).

Jesus allowed Himself to undergo three kenotic experiences, namely: (1) in the Incarnation, He was born poor in a manager; (2) He died a criminal’s death on the cross; and (3) He chose to remain Bread until the end of time in the Holy Eucharist. We are interested here on the first two kenotic experiences.

That He was born poor, an infant in a manger, with simple and lowly shepherds as His first visitors (Lk. 2:7-8), is our Blessed Lord’s first kenosis. Although He is the omnipotent God who can scan the heights of the heavens and the width of the universe, He was just as well like any other new-born baby that giggled, blubbered and cried as any child would. He was the Word that created the world, yet, He, too, cooed, baby-­talked, rolled and crawled as any other infant does. 

And yes, He was the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament, the King of the kings and the Lord of lords (Is. 7:14, Mt. 1:23, Rev. l9:16), but, then again, He, just like you and me, sucked on His mother’s breasts for milk.

A Christmas poem

Francis Thompson had a poem, telling the story of how a little child approached the baby Jesus in the manger (I quote here from memory):

Dear Jesus (asked the child),

Was thou shy once and just as small as I          

And how did thou feel like to be just like me?

I should think that thou didst cry.

Was thy home all made of sky?

Dost thou have any toy?

And dost thou play with angels

            who art not too tall

Do they play like little boys and girls?

Can thou see me through their wings?

Dost thy mother kiss thee in the night

And hold thee tight?

Dost thou say thy prayer in the night,

How does it feel to be small

And walk and whisper and crawl?

Second emptying

Our Lord’s ignominious passion and death (Jn. 19) is His second kenosis. Before Christ, anyone who was crucified was doomed to hell (or thought to be so) because they were criminals. Everyone who suffered through the loss of lives, severe sickness, or dire poverty were said to be punished by God. Those without husband, wife, or children, were known and perceived to have been under an evil spell. When Jesus came, He was celibate. He suffered as He willingly and bravely submitted to His passion He died on the cross. In so doing, He saved us all from sin He gave glory to the cross.

A Christian martyr in the third century was sarcastically told by the Roman Prefect Oliverius: “It is stupid for you to worship as God a mere man who died shamefully on an infamous cross.” To which the martyr replied: “You remember so well His crucifixion, yet, forget His glorious resurrection and ascension. The crucifixion will prove to you that He was a true Man. His resurrection and ascension will prove that He is, indeed, true God.”

When Jesus was crucified, the disciples saw the worst that had happened to Him. They witnessed what the world did to Him, and realized that they could not defeat Him. Jesus is telling us now: “The victory I won can be yours, too. The world did the unthinkable and unimaginable ever to me, and still, I emerged the champion...by My resurrection and ascension. Life can do the same vicious and vile things to you, bring you down and trample on you.”

Yet, you have the power and the grace to be victorious! Possess the courage to overcome the extreme difficulties and hardships and you can truly conquer the world. Empty yourselves now. Deny your passions and cravings. As you do so, you shall, in the fullness of time, enjoy the glory of the cross.”

When virtually all of Spain was groaning under the Moslem invasion, the Moors chained many Christians to the stone columns in Cordova, among them of which was a nobleman. For several weeks he remained steadfast in Faith until death. Where did he derive his strength? Painfully with his fingernails he kept scratching out and sculpturing a cross on the stone to which he was chained. That sculptured cross still exists to this very day, and visitors view it with much respect for it gave so much strength and encouragement to a hero in agony.

Our Blessed Lord left behind a legacy - that of the glory of His cross and the glorious meaning of suffering (Jn. 20, Acts 1:1-11). The Christian disciple is no longer afraid of dying and suffering, for the promise and the glory of his own resurrection is not far behind. The very Rev. Msgr. Augord, a bishop in flourishing Paris, resigned and decided to go to Africa as a missionary in 1807. At the port, though he was welcomed by the native Christians, he, however, was told that he will find it difficult to live there. And he answered them: “I have not come here to live. I came to die.”

To empty one’s self (kenosis) and to be filled with Christ, to glory in one’s suffering, is Christian discipleship. “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit,” says the Lord (Jn.12:24). Amen!  

MORTIFICATION? ANYONE?

Today, we are face to face with a dim and grim reality, that is, in a spiritual sense. It seems that our generation is trying to avoid anything that has something to do with mortification, penance, or sacrifice. Our youth, more so those who are well provided with all sorts of pleasures and comforts, call the acts of mortification passé or old practice, and acts of self-denial as shots of “kill joy”.

It might be well to understand the true significance of mortification, which comes from the Latin words mors-mortis, meaning “death.” Mortification is related not to one’s clinical or physical death — the stopping of the brain and heart functions. It pertains more to dying to oneself or self-love. Dying to oneself is denying whatever provides pleasure and too much comfort, hence stepping out of the comfort zone. To mortify is to deny pleasure, even legitimate ones.

Carry your cross daily and follow me

Jesus addresses us all: “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Lk. 9:23). In this particular passage, it must be noted that Jesus hurled His challenge to all and not only to His closest friends. This can only mean one thing: that self-denial is a Catholic call to duty. The practice of mortification is not exclusively for the priests and the religious, but an open invitation to every Christian disciple. In a spiritual sense, while men and women of the world are born to live, we who follow the footsteps of Jesus are born to die. To attain a solid Christian spirituality, mortification is a necessity. To draw closer to the crown of glory, one has to carry the cross, undergo passion and death.

Scary huh? There is no Easter Sunday without a Good Friday, for beyond the cross of Jesus Christ lies the hope and glory of His resurrection.

More to be admired than imitated

In the past, acts of mortification include abstinence from meat and fasting for many days, pilgrimage on foot, using sackcloth for underwear, sleeping on flat and rough boards, and even flagellations. Numerous saints used one or all of the above means of dying to self. Some of the mortifications practiced by these heroic saints are more to be admired than imitated.

For sure, God desires not want penance for its own sake. Our Father God wants us to enjoy life and live it to the full (Jer. 29:11). However, beyond any doubt, as all spiritual writings can attest, mortification is meritorious for any serious disciple who wants to be intimately related with Jesus Christ. Without mortification no one can simply follow the footsteps of his Master.

Mortify as we aspire for holiness

To aspire for holiness, we need to fight our enemies both from within and from without, deep within self such as lust and dishonesty and temptations arising from worldliness. It is not solely sufficient to win spiritual victories against sin and the devil, as it is also necessary to overcome our rebellious flesh, our concupiscence, ang pagnanasa ng laman at ang kahinaan ng tao.

One cannot deny that there is an ongoing rebellion within us, the flesh is warring against the Spirit. No believer is exempted from this continuing inner struggle, unless he claims that he too was immaculately conceived like our Blessed Mother.

St Paul complains about the “battle within” in one of his letters: “What I do, I do not understand, since I do not do what I want but I do what I hate” (Rom. 7:15). This rebellion in our human nature is a result of Original Sin. The first sin of our first parents has caused the weakening of our natural inclination to follow the good. Because of the fallen nature in us, there is a need to mortify or die to oneself. From this situation of our fallen nature is where mortification or dying to self is said to be necessary. Only after taming the animal in us will our body be worthy to be called the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 3:16).

Before our passion enslaves us

The saints were wont to say: “It is better to enslave our passion before our passion enslaves us.” A venerable priest once appeared before his congregation in a kingly robe, a royal crown, and a scepter. When asked for a reason for such an unusual costume, he replied:

“Don’t you know that I am a king!”

“A king? But whom do you rule?” they inquired.

“My subjects,” the priest answered.

“And who are your subjects?” they pressed on.

“My evil inclinations!” he exclaimed.

The priest was right in giving himself the title of a king. And all of us could be kings ruling over our passions by our daily acts of mortification. After prayer there is no other way of ruling our passions than by denying its demands. St. Paul writes: “Now those who belong to Christ [Jesus] have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires” (Gal. 5:24). To crucify our flesh is to experience mortification.

Daily acts of mortification

The following acts of mortification, even outside the Lenten Season, may prove beneficial for one’s spiritual nourishment:

• Always wear a cheerful smile especially for those who bother you;
• Spend more time each day before the Blessed Sacrament and in Scripture reading;
• Forego movies for two months;
• Study harder than usual;
• Suspend shopping of expensive shirts, clothes, shoes, perfumes, and other non-essentials for two months;
• Be silent when unjustly accused
• Fast on words for those who are talkative;
• Forego softdrinks, beer drinking, and cigarette smoking for a few months;
• Reduce by as rnuch as 50% the time consumed for make-up, footspa, and other vanities.

These acts mortify more one’s will and inclinations rather than the body. One can do all of the above acts of mortification and yet merit nothing. It must be kept in mind that the spirit of genuine mortification should be more than overcoming-a-guilt-trip ritual. It should go beyond the practice of giving up something for a while and soon after revert to one’s old self and lifestyle.

Do not tell anyone that you are mortifying

Beware lest you fall into the same trap as the hype about gift-giving during Christmas, which may become a force of habit more than a personal decision to actually share. In short, our dying to self must sink deep into our system and not just remain a fad or an “in” thing. Every action done for the wrong reason or by mechanical force of habit is a defeated act in itself, robbed of its true worth.

Do not tell anyone that you are fasting, doing penance, or helping the poor. “Do not let the right hand know what your left hand is doing” (Mt. 6:1-4). The moment you reveal your sacrifice, you lose your merit.

In self-imposing acts of mortification the intention is important. And the only valid intention in offering a sacrifice is the desire to be united with Jesus on the cross for the salvation of souls and for the greater glory of God. We carry our cross to give more crowns to God.

PRACTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD

Our reception of the Sacraments pertains to the awareness of the Divine inside of us. The Triune God staying within us becomes a faith reality as we receive the sacrament of the Holy Communion. Faith reality means we believe that God actually dwells in our human nature. Thus, after receiving Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, we worship Him who dwells in the center of our being as we spend a few moments of silence.

God inside out

Because the Omnipresent God decided to become the staple Bread of Life, we silently pray in this manner: “Jesus, my Savior, stay within thy soul. I love and glorify You who are within me. Never abandon me and do not leave me orphaned, my Lord.”

The bigness of the Creator has chosen to stay inside the smallness of the created being.        

On the other hand, the practice of the presence of God pertains to the awareness of the Divine outside of us. It signifies our awareness of God’s company and attendance in all places, and at all times.

Isn’t our human experience that we put our best foot forward before our parents, superiors, officers-in-charge, or any individual, for that matter, whom we revere and place in high esteem? Accordingly, due to the awareness of God’s ever present within and outside of us, should we not strive to please Him all the more, with our good words and action?

Should we not show more decorum, good behavior, fair judgment, and gentle manners before the God who is our Father, who dearly loves us? Should we not behave as we claim to be His sons and daughters, that is, as God’s children?

Then we perform well

When we practice living in the presence of God every hour of the day, in fact, every minute of the day, wonderful things can happen to us. In the first place, that practice is an effective aid to enhance our spiritual life. That practice requires from us to do all things with the greatest possible perfection, which means, we act and perform without waste, neither half-baked nor mediocre. In other words, only the best is acceptable to God.

For instance, if you ever decide to offer your office work as an acceptable sacrifice to God, at the end of the day you must be able to say, “I’ve done my best today. I’ve offered nothing less than perfect because I sincerely believe God deserves my best.”

In Brunei, two laborers were working in the field in the middle of a sunny day, one is a Christian and the other a non-Christian. The taskmaster who was supervising them got summoned by the Sultan. When he left, the non-Christian prodded his companion, saying: “Ah, it is time to relax because the master has gone. When the cat is away, the mouse will play.”

The Christian replied with all seriousness: “No, we must work hard just the same. Although our earthly master is off to see the Sultan, the heavenly Master is forever watching us. We are expected to be just and proper at all times.”

Then we shall attempt to avoid sin

The practice of the presence of God is another way of avoiding sin, even the insignificant yet deliberate ones. God sees not only our external actions but also our interior motives and intentions (Jer. 17:10, Rev. 2:23). In the Book of Genesis, God said to Abraham: “Walk in my presence and be blameless” (Gen. 17:1). Absolutely nothing escapes His loving gaze for all things are open and naked before His very eyes. Some people may hypocritically appear good and religious before others, but surely, God knows the inner chamber of their hearts.

Modesty, chastity, and good sense of shame

Virtues related to the human body, they are gone. And pornography trumpets itself in the open and in public, in a private flat screen as well as in the cyberspace.

If only Christians practice to live always in God’s presence, then we all will enveloped with good sense of shame and observe modesty in our deportment at all times. Whether alone or with others, the constant awareness of the Divine Omnipresence can assist our human weakness and help us maintain a sense of Christian dignity in all our actions. Even in our private dressing room, far from the gaze of mortal eyes, deep inside we believe we are never alone.

God sees us and we see Him everywhere

The practice of the presence of God is a consequence of being prayerful. It becomes second nature for a man or woman of prayer to live always in the presence of God. He or she who practices interior recollection and meditative silence never fails to see God in all His creatures. To them, God is in the rising, morning sun or in the beautiful orchid delicately perched against the garden wall. God, in a very special way, is in the people we meet.

External representations like the crucifix or the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus will easily remind the prayerful soul of God, our Father, in heaven — seemingly far, yet, so near and ever present. From the Divine Loving Omnipresence, there is no escape! For the best place to be for the Christian disciple is to be in Christ: to live in Christ so that Christ may live in us.