On the wins and the bads of life

Quick reflections on the article I posted before this post

“When you’re startled, what do you blurt out?”

I just got shocked, after seeing a cat literally in my room. Answering the author’s question, I react with “PUTANG INA” when I get startled. (We don’t own cats. In my CR, I have a small tunnel that leads to the outside. Apparently, cats can climb into my room.)

Some quotes I like from the article:

• “We also need to embrace and master the languages of our instincts.”
• “Filipino is not just a language I speak, it is who I am. It is the Macario Sakay, the bolera, the Nora Aunor, the aktibista and the bastos in me. It is that one bit of myself that remains unconquered, uncensored and untranslatable.”
• “Find the indio in you, James. He’s far cleverer and more resilient than you have been led to believe.”

Filipino is the language of my instincts. It is not just a language I speak, it is who I am.

I get asked a lot about me being Chinese-looking. The last time I was asked the “Chinese ka ba?” question, I answered with “Hinde, Pilipino ako.” 

Ang Pilipino kasi, chopsuey na tayo. Bihira na ang purong Pilipino, maliban sa mga Aeta o yung mga ibang indigenous people. Lahat tayo may halong Tsino, Espanyol, at iba pa. We are not a nation defined by skin color or by physical appearance. 

Sorry sa mga traditional Chinese relatives, pero wala o konti nalang ang natirang Chinese sa pagkatao ko. Pilipinas lang ang bansang mahal ko. 

What I Have Failed To Do

I just felt the sudden call urge to reflect and blog about today’s Gospel.

Luke 16:19-31.
Jesus said to the Pharisees: «There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores. 

When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.’ 

Abraham replied, ‘My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented. Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours.’ 

He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.’ 

But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’ 

He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’

Then Abraham said, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.’”

Our parish priest said the rich man’s conversation with Abraham went something like this:

Rich Man: Is my name on the book of life?

Abraham: Hmm, let’s see… Sorry, your name isn’t here. You are not welcome in heaven.

Rich Man: But why? I lived a good life! I did not hold any grudges. I did not hurt anyone! I did not do wrong. I did nothing.

Abraham: Exactly. You did nothing.

The priest in our Mass also showed us how today’s gospel emphasizes the importance of the sin of omission. The rich man did not do anything about the suffering poor man Lazarus, and that is a sin. The priest also reminded us what we say at start of the Holy Eucharist (Kyrie):

We tend to forget the 6th line the most. We tend to confess that, “Father, I am so sorry for all the wrong things I have done,” while we usually forget to confess or to feel sorry for what we have failed to do.

Jesus taught us (as pointed out by Ray Aguas in Theo151) how important it is to see every single person as our brother and/or sister. For me, it does not make sense to do nothing while millions of people in the world are suffering. It does not make sense to do nothing while you are aware that your brother or sister is suffering. 

Today’s gospel reminded me one of the reasons why I love being Catholic, even more being a CLCer. As CLCers, I think one of the goals of our formation is for us to be able to discern what we are failing to do and then do something about it. Or, in short, the goal is to be able to become contemplatives-in-action. Our apostolates can be instrumental in forming our being contemplatives-in-action. 

The rich man in the gospel could have realized that the poor man needed his help. We too must realize whom or where are we needed. With Mary as our model in discernment, I think it’s important to know ourselves better so that we could be wise in realizing what we are failing to do.

What are you failing to do?