Most incurable sickness
Published Feb 27, 2022 12:05 am
WORD ALIVE
FR. BEL SAN LUIS, SVD
A parish priest happened to meet one of his parishioners in a mall and said, "Johnny, I haven't seen you in church for a long time. What happened?"
"Father, I've stopped going to church. There are a lot of hypocrites there."
Whereupon, the priest smiled and said: "Well, there's always room for one more (hypocrite)."
If one goes to church only when all are sinless, nobody would ever go to church anymore.
* * *
As somebody said, “The Church is an institution of sinners.” Apart from having a self-righteous or “holier-than-thou” attitude, do not be harsh and rash in judging others.
* * *
Remember the teaching of Jesus in today’s gospel: "How can you say, `brother, let me remove the speck of your eye,' yet cannot see because there is a log in your own eye? You hypocrite! First remove the log out of your own eye, and then you will be able to see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye’" (Luke 6,42).
* * *
Jesus understands our human nature very well. He recognizes our weaknesses. He knows fully well that no one with authority or responsibility, he be pope or president, parent or priest, is perfect.
In his unfathomable mercy, God will always forgive us. However, he expects of us to reform and make reparation. This was shown when Jesus had forgiven the woman who was condemned for committing adultery. “I don’t condemn you,” Jesus said,” but don’t sin again.”
* * *
Another lesson we can learn from Jesus’ teaching today is for those who are vested with leadership and responsibility. They must strive to show good example and be credible in order to command respect.
For instance, many people are scandalized when they found out that a presidential candidate didn’t pay his income taxes when he was a governor.
Poor people are penalized when they fail to pay. How can such an aspiring president escape such an offence?
Even Jesus Christ, when questioned about paying taxes, had ordered Peter to go and find money “to pay tax for himself and Peter “(Matt. 17,25).
* * *
Spiritual blindness can afflict anybody. It may be a husband or a wife justifying his or her fault, a political aspirant or a manager who faults everybody but not himself.
The sickness fails to see one's own sins or the virtues of others. What's worst is that he does not realize that he's sick at all.
When that happens, his or her sickness is the most incurable.
EDSA
People Power I
The main reason why the Marcoses were exiled following a bloodless revolution was when the abuses, extra judicial killings, cheating in the polls, and corruption reached its peak. Filipinos are naturally patient and peaceful but the excesses triggered what’s now known as the People Power. Hundreds of thousands massed themselves along Edsa to block the way of the soldiers and tanks.
* * *
According to Fr. Emmanuel Menguito, SVD, who was there related that many priests, nuns, and seminarians thought it was the end when Sikorsky helicopters were hovering above waiting orders to fire and disperse them. Thank God, it didn’t happen, he said, otherwise there would have been a massive bloody massacre.
Now they are back. And without qualms, they want to return to power.
* * *
THANK YOU--Here's what one donor to our “Adopt A Seminarian” educational program wrote: "My sons have no vocation to the priesthood so I might as well help others become priests." Very inspiring.
Donate any amount or sponsor a seminarian's schooling good for one school year. For inquiry, e-mail me at: [email protected].
FR. BEL SAN LUIS, SVD
A parish priest happened to meet one of his parishioners in a mall and said, "Johnny, I haven't seen you in church for a long time. What happened?"
"Father, I've stopped going to church. There are a lot of hypocrites there."
Whereupon, the priest smiled and said: "Well, there's always room for one more (hypocrite)."
If one goes to church only when all are sinless, nobody would ever go to church anymore.
* * *
As somebody said, “The Church is an institution of sinners.” Apart from having a self-righteous or “holier-than-thou” attitude, do not be harsh and rash in judging others.
* * *
Remember the teaching of Jesus in today’s gospel: "How can you say, `brother, let me remove the speck of your eye,' yet cannot see because there is a log in your own eye? You hypocrite! First remove the log out of your own eye, and then you will be able to see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye’" (Luke 6,42).
* * *
Jesus understands our human nature very well. He recognizes our weaknesses. He knows fully well that no one with authority or responsibility, he be pope or president, parent or priest, is perfect.
In his unfathomable mercy, God will always forgive us. However, he expects of us to reform and make reparation. This was shown when Jesus had forgiven the woman who was condemned for committing adultery. “I don’t condemn you,” Jesus said,” but don’t sin again.”
* * *
Another lesson we can learn from Jesus’ teaching today is for those who are vested with leadership and responsibility. They must strive to show good example and be credible in order to command respect.
For instance, many people are scandalized when they found out that a presidential candidate didn’t pay his income taxes when he was a governor.
Poor people are penalized when they fail to pay. How can such an aspiring president escape such an offence?
Even Jesus Christ, when questioned about paying taxes, had ordered Peter to go and find money “to pay tax for himself and Peter “(Matt. 17,25).
* * *
Spiritual blindness can afflict anybody. It may be a husband or a wife justifying his or her fault, a political aspirant or a manager who faults everybody but not himself.
The sickness fails to see one's own sins or the virtues of others. What's worst is that he does not realize that he's sick at all.
When that happens, his or her sickness is the most incurable.
EDSA
People Power I
The main reason why the Marcoses were exiled following a bloodless revolution was when the abuses, extra judicial killings, cheating in the polls, and corruption reached its peak. Filipinos are naturally patient and peaceful but the excesses triggered what’s now known as the People Power. Hundreds of thousands massed themselves along Edsa to block the way of the soldiers and tanks.
* * *
According to Fr. Emmanuel Menguito, SVD, who was there related that many priests, nuns, and seminarians thought it was the end when Sikorsky helicopters were hovering above waiting orders to fire and disperse them. Thank God, it didn’t happen, he said, otherwise there would have been a massive bloody massacre.
Now they are back. And without qualms, they want to return to power.
* * *
THANK YOU--Here's what one donor to our “Adopt A Seminarian” educational program wrote: "My sons have no vocation to the priesthood so I might as well help others become priests." Very inspiring.
Donate any amount or sponsor a seminarian's schooling good for one school year. For inquiry, e-mail me at: [email protected].