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Manila Bulletin devider Opinion devider I believe that Jesus is the King

I believe that Jesus is the King

Published Nov 20, 2022 12:02 am
THROUGH UNTRUE Fr. Rolando V. dela Rosa, O.P. I believe that Jesus is the King of time, so I shall devote the best moments of my life to Him. I shall not waste many precious hours in compulsive texting and social networking. I shall not be a slave of obsessive surfing, chatting, posting selfies, and the voyeuristic invasion of the lives of others. Cellphones and computers are heartless gadgets that measure everything in terms of speed. But life is not about speed. It is about depth. Without depth, life becomes a series of encounters with no personal engagements, dialogues without real conversations, and contacts without presence. I believe that Jesus is the King who values me for who I am. So, I will refuse to take myself too seriously. I shall humbly admit that I have imperfections and weaknesses. Many angels became devils because they took their God-given qualities too seriously. I shall remind myself that it does not pay to be heavy, it pays to be light. A stone cannot fly because its weight pulls it down. Humility lifts us up. I believe that Jesus is the King who rules and gives meaning to my actions, so I will not flinch or hesitate to do what is right, despite threats, failure, and disappointments. Since my desire to be good is itself a grace that is freely given, I will not compromise my integrity, nor exchange my conscience for convenience, wealth, and power. I believe that Jesus is the King of the future, so when age creeps in, and life becomes more difficult because of the onset of physical and mental disabilities, I will not be dismayed by long periods of darkness and confusion. I shall bear in mind that what counts most is not the pain and the sorrow of the present, but the joys and surprises that await me. St. Paul attests to the fact that “eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man, what God has prepared for those who love Him” (I Corinthians 2:9). I believe that Jesus is the King of mercy, so when I sin, I shall not cover up my misdeed by blaming others or by rationalization. I will take consolation from the fact that many saints sinned and the chosen disciples betrayed and left Jesus I shall bravely confess my sins, resolve to improve myself, and offer restitutions when needed. I know I will be tempted again and again to turn away from Him, but I believe He has put a built-in software in my soul that leads me back to Him. In moments of weakness, I shall repeat those words from the theme song of the movie “The Cardinal:”

“Though I grope and I blunder, though I’m weak and I’m wrong

Though the roads buckle under where I walk, walk alone

Till I find to my wonder, every path leads to thee

All that I can do is pray, ‘Stay with me, stay with me.’”

I believe that Jesus is the King of love, so I shall try to put Him above everything precious to me. If loving Him is my top priority, I shall be certain that when my life is over and I face Him, He will have no problem recognizing me. He will see Himself in me because we become what we love.

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Fr. Rolando V. dela Rosa O.P. THROUGH UNTRUE
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