Gen 18, 20-32
Col 2, 12-14
Lk 11, 1-13
Prayer Formula
When you see this thing P=1P+3P, what comes to your mind? Are they some numbers? Letters? Or signs and symbols? It (P=1P+3P) looks like a mathematical equation or formula, right?
Today’s Gospel talks about a unique formula, not a mathematical formula, but a “Prayer Formula” — (Prayer = 1P (praise) + 3P [patience, perseverance, and persistence]). Jesus says, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins as we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us. And do not subject us to the test.’ ”
If we ponder on this prayer that Jesus teaches us, we realize that it is divided into two parts. The first is “praising God” and the second, “the art of begging through prayer.”
Let us reflect on the first one – Praising God. The prayer starts with “Father, hallowed be your name…” Jesus reminds us that as we address our prayer to the Father, we must first acknowledge His greatness. We worship Him for He is the Almighty God and the “Omnipotent Being.” We glorify His name and recognize that He is the source of all the wonderful things in this world. We feel His very presence in our lives for His is the “Omnipresent Being.” We appreciate His generosity for He alone can grant the longings of our hearts. He knows what is inside our hearts and minds for He is the “Omniscient Being.” By saying, “your kingdom come,” we believe that He knows what is best for us at all times. We also earnestly ask God to bestow His graces and blessings upon us. We rely on God’s providence. We joyfully hope for something good and beautiful.
The second part of the prayer is about “the act and the art of begging.” “Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins as we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us. And do not subject us to the test.” Jesus illustrates this by citing the parable of a man asking his friend for bread because he has a visitor but has nothing to offer. Jesus further explains the art and the act of begging in this manner, “ask and you shall receive; seek and you shall find; and knock and it shall be opened to you.” These three (3) acts and art of begging can be converted into three (3) important attitudes when we pray.
Ask and you shall receive. Sometimes when we ask somebody for something, he or she will not immediately oblige, right? If we really want to get what we are asking for, we should be unrelenting and wait unceasingly until it is given to us. In waiting, we apply the virtue of patience. Patience requires one to have tenacity, endurance, fortitude, tolerance, or forbearance. As they say, “patience is a virtue” because not all people can patiently wait for something beautiful to happen.
Seek and you shall find. If we aim for something, we explore all possible means just to attain our goal. We exert extra effort and make use of our creativity to achieve our objective. What we often apply is the attitude of perseverance. Perseverance implies the attitude of one to keep going, to cling to, to see through, to stay firm, to remain determined, or to continue constantly.
Let me share my personal experience along the famous lines of “ask and you shall receive” and “seek and you shall find” – about patience and perseverance. At the beginning of the Second Semester of the School Year 2006 - 2007, one of the professors at the Divine Word School of Theology in Tagaytay City announced that there would be a quiz by the end of the year. That was December 2006. The professor gave the class enough time to review by making one of his classes vacant so that it would be intended for study period and research work. The quiz would constitute 20% of the final grade. The scope of the quiz consisted of about 160 pages of a book. My classmates and I took the exam last December 2006. When the results were released last January 2007, only six (6) out of the forty three (43) students passed. Thirty seven (37) of us failed.
20% constituted a big percentage in the computation of the final grade. The professor told us that the only way to obtain a better grade would be to submit a very good research paper and get a high score in the final exam. Most of those who failed in the quiz dropped the course and opted to re-enroll in the following semester or in the coming years. Out of the thrity seven (37) students,not including the six (6) students who passed the quiz, only the twelve (12) of us pursued the course. Everyone was pressured to produce a good paper so as to meet the expectation of the professor who maintained a certain standard in evaluating a research paper. One of my classmates would often say, “Bahala na ang Diyos.” Of course, I agree with Him that God will take care of the rest as long as we do our part too. Another thing that overwhelmed us was the bulk of the coverage of the final exam. Well, the long and short of it, all of us who took the challenge of pursuing the course finally succeeded. The professor congratulated each of us for our perseverance. All our efforts paid off.
That was one of the most challenging and beautiful experience I had ever encountered as a student. I would call it “my success” —not because I received a good grade, but more importantly, because of the process I went through and the sacrifices I endured to be able to pass the course. I imposed upon myself proper time management and discipline. I had to forego my siesta and recreation so as to gather relevant data and information in the school library. I had to rewrite, revise, and proofread my research paper many times to ensure that it would have a good result. I had to go over my notes so that I would have that much needed “security blanket” of knowledge as I take the final exam. Along with my human capacity, I constantly beg and ask the aid of God for I know that my efforts are worthless without His grace. The success that happened to me was an interplay of effort and prayer and an interaction of patience and perseverance.
Knock and it shall be opened. ILLUSTRATION (audience participation)
In the First Reading, Abraham was so persistent in haggling or bargaining with the Lord. With his persistence God granted his requests to spare the city from destruction.
Lest we forget, P=1P+3P. Prayer is Praising God (1P) together with patience, perseverance, and persistence (3Ps). God listens to our prayers. He knows when to give our needs. Sometimes, the answers to our prayers are delayed, perhaps because God wants us to talk to Him more often or God wants us to listen to Him. Sometimes God does not answer our prayers in the way we may want it to be, but He answers it in a way far more than what we are asking for. God knows best. No doubt about that. We need not dictate things upon Him. All we need is the “Prayer Formula of P=1P+3P.” As Saint Paul says in the Second Reading, the one essential thing that we need in our prayers is faith in the power of God. AMEN.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Martha and Mary
Gen 18, 1-10
Col 1, 24-28
Lk 10, 38-42
Service Hospitality and Presence Hospitality
When I was in high school, my barkadas used to come to my home to ask me to join their gimmicks or spend time with them exchanging stories. I would then entertain them at the front yard of the house especially when I have not yet cleaned the sala area. My mother would always say then, invite your classmates or visitors to come in and offer them some merienda. My Mama and Papa once explained that it would be best to entertain my guests inside the house where they can sit comfortably and relax rather than have them stand outside the house. With the comments of my parents, I realized the importance of welcoming and accommodating guests warmly.
Today’s readings, both the First Reading and Gospel, talk about hospitality. Hospitality can be viewed in two different levels — First, hospitality through service and second, hospitality through presence. Let us reflect on the first one – hospitality through service or action. In the first reading, when Abraham saw the three men, he approached them without any hesitation and he took the initiative to render service for them. Together with his wife, Sarah, and his servant, they prepared some food for their guests. Abraham’s welcoming attitude reflects a kind of mutual aid and generosity even toward strangers. Abraham’s hospitality was rewarded by God. The reward was for Sarah to be able to conceive a son.
Moreover, as described in the Gospel, when Jesus entered the house of Martha and Mary, Martha immediately prepared something for Jesus. The difference between Abraham and Martha was that Abraham patiently waited until the three men finished their meal while Martha complained, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?” Martha protested because she might have felt the burden of the work in preparing everything. Or maybe, Martha wanted Mary to help her so that the preparation would have been less burdensome. But Jesus replied, “Martha, you are anxious and worried of many things.” These words of Jesus could mean that Martha was so bothered with unnecessary things. She did things of less importance. Jesus was telling Martha that there were far greater things to do than mere preparation. The remark of Jesus to Martha should lead us to a deeper level of hospitality.
The other level of hospitality is hospitality through presence. Upon noticing Martha’s anxiousness, Jesus added, “There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.” We might be tempted to ask, “What did Mary do?” The first part of the Gospel stated, “Mary sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.” Mary’s mere presence beside the Lord speaks a lot. It could mean Mary’s interest in listening to Jesus’ stories and teachings. It could also be Mary’s way of showing her love for the Lord.
Isn’t it beautiful to see that a husband and his wife or a boy and a girl who are into a relationship sitting side by side, even though they are not actually talking to each other? It seems to be such a sweet and special moment for both of them. This is because the mere presence of their partners by their side is enough to give them so much happiness. One’s presence can make a difference – a sweet smile, a helping hand, a pat on the shoulder, encouraging words, inspiring messages, good jokes, and most especially, by merely listening to one’s story – which can make another person’s heart leap for joy. It can make one feel that he or she is important. It is not the quantity of tangible things we give to others that can make them happy, but it is the quality of time we spend with them that matters most.
The Gospel shows us the interplay between service and presence; between work and prayer. Sometimes, if not most of the time, we are like Martha. We are concerned with so many things — things that we want to do, things that give us pleasure, things that satisfy our needs, things that please others. We do lots of things that are not necessary. We even reach the point of being saturated even with the simple things that we do or easily get tired in our work. We feel the burden on our shoulders. Why? Because we do it through our own efforts. We rely so much on our own capacity. The worst thing that can happen is when we feel stressed out and disappointed in the things that we do.
In our lives, there were times when we do not imitate Mary – Mary who recognized the presence of Jesus; Mary who listened to Jesus; and Mary who was so calm. The readings showed that Mary was just seated beside Jesus; yet Jesus gave her the credit simply because she opened her heart and allowed Jesus to talk to her.
Jesus has visited Mary and Martha centuries ago. Jesus continues to do the same thing with us now. Jesus comes to our house everyday. He knocks at the doors of our hearts every moment, but sometimes we do not recognize Him because we are too busy. We are not aware of his presence because we focus only on the things we want to see; on the things we want to do; and on the things we want to happen in our lives. Mary teaches us to be more hospitable to Jesus. How? Simply make time for Jesus to talk to us. All we have to do is to sit, stay quiet, and pray. Praying does not mean that we do all the talking before God and asking for the things we desire, but praying is more of listening. We listen to what Jesus is whispering to us. I recall what my Spiritual Director in Tagaytay would always tell me, “Abs, you don’t need to talk before the Lord. Your presence is enough. The Lord knows what you need. All you have to say is, ‘Lord I’m here and I am listening to you.“ We lend our hearts to what Jesus is communicating to us.
Thus, the Gospel challenges us to make a balance between service we render to others and our presence for them; or between our daily work and our prayer life. The more we stay close to Christ, the more we become like him. I believe that if we start our day with a prayer, everything will fall into their proper places. We may encounter difficult tasks, but we don’t really feel the burden because we are not alone and we have totally surrendered everything to God. In this way, we will always find joy in the things we do. Let our prayers bear fruit in our work and let our work be a part of our prayer. Amen.
Col 1, 24-28
Lk 10, 38-42
Service Hospitality and Presence Hospitality
When I was in high school, my barkadas used to come to my home to ask me to join their gimmicks or spend time with them exchanging stories. I would then entertain them at the front yard of the house especially when I have not yet cleaned the sala area. My mother would always say then, invite your classmates or visitors to come in and offer them some merienda. My Mama and Papa once explained that it would be best to entertain my guests inside the house where they can sit comfortably and relax rather than have them stand outside the house. With the comments of my parents, I realized the importance of welcoming and accommodating guests warmly.
Today’s readings, both the First Reading and Gospel, talk about hospitality. Hospitality can be viewed in two different levels — First, hospitality through service and second, hospitality through presence. Let us reflect on the first one – hospitality through service or action. In the first reading, when Abraham saw the three men, he approached them without any hesitation and he took the initiative to render service for them. Together with his wife, Sarah, and his servant, they prepared some food for their guests. Abraham’s welcoming attitude reflects a kind of mutual aid and generosity even toward strangers. Abraham’s hospitality was rewarded by God. The reward was for Sarah to be able to conceive a son.
Moreover, as described in the Gospel, when Jesus entered the house of Martha and Mary, Martha immediately prepared something for Jesus. The difference between Abraham and Martha was that Abraham patiently waited until the three men finished their meal while Martha complained, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?” Martha protested because she might have felt the burden of the work in preparing everything. Or maybe, Martha wanted Mary to help her so that the preparation would have been less burdensome. But Jesus replied, “Martha, you are anxious and worried of many things.” These words of Jesus could mean that Martha was so bothered with unnecessary things. She did things of less importance. Jesus was telling Martha that there were far greater things to do than mere preparation. The remark of Jesus to Martha should lead us to a deeper level of hospitality.
The other level of hospitality is hospitality through presence. Upon noticing Martha’s anxiousness, Jesus added, “There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.” We might be tempted to ask, “What did Mary do?” The first part of the Gospel stated, “Mary sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.” Mary’s mere presence beside the Lord speaks a lot. It could mean Mary’s interest in listening to Jesus’ stories and teachings. It could also be Mary’s way of showing her love for the Lord.
Isn’t it beautiful to see that a husband and his wife or a boy and a girl who are into a relationship sitting side by side, even though they are not actually talking to each other? It seems to be such a sweet and special moment for both of them. This is because the mere presence of their partners by their side is enough to give them so much happiness. One’s presence can make a difference – a sweet smile, a helping hand, a pat on the shoulder, encouraging words, inspiring messages, good jokes, and most especially, by merely listening to one’s story – which can make another person’s heart leap for joy. It can make one feel that he or she is important. It is not the quantity of tangible things we give to others that can make them happy, but it is the quality of time we spend with them that matters most.
The Gospel shows us the interplay between service and presence; between work and prayer. Sometimes, if not most of the time, we are like Martha. We are concerned with so many things — things that we want to do, things that give us pleasure, things that satisfy our needs, things that please others. We do lots of things that are not necessary. We even reach the point of being saturated even with the simple things that we do or easily get tired in our work. We feel the burden on our shoulders. Why? Because we do it through our own efforts. We rely so much on our own capacity. The worst thing that can happen is when we feel stressed out and disappointed in the things that we do.
In our lives, there were times when we do not imitate Mary – Mary who recognized the presence of Jesus; Mary who listened to Jesus; and Mary who was so calm. The readings showed that Mary was just seated beside Jesus; yet Jesus gave her the credit simply because she opened her heart and allowed Jesus to talk to her.
Jesus has visited Mary and Martha centuries ago. Jesus continues to do the same thing with us now. Jesus comes to our house everyday. He knocks at the doors of our hearts every moment, but sometimes we do not recognize Him because we are too busy. We are not aware of his presence because we focus only on the things we want to see; on the things we want to do; and on the things we want to happen in our lives. Mary teaches us to be more hospitable to Jesus. How? Simply make time for Jesus to talk to us. All we have to do is to sit, stay quiet, and pray. Praying does not mean that we do all the talking before God and asking for the things we desire, but praying is more of listening. We listen to what Jesus is whispering to us. I recall what my Spiritual Director in Tagaytay would always tell me, “Abs, you don’t need to talk before the Lord. Your presence is enough. The Lord knows what you need. All you have to say is, ‘Lord I’m here and I am listening to you.“ We lend our hearts to what Jesus is communicating to us.
Thus, the Gospel challenges us to make a balance between service we render to others and our presence for them; or between our daily work and our prayer life. The more we stay close to Christ, the more we become like him. I believe that if we start our day with a prayer, everything will fall into their proper places. We may encounter difficult tasks, but we don’t really feel the burden because we are not alone and we have totally surrendered everything to God. In this way, we will always find joy in the things we do. Let our prayers bear fruit in our work and let our work be a part of our prayer. Amen.
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