Commitment to the Mission

Mt 23:13-22

Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples:
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You lock the Kingdom of heaven before men.
You do not enter yourselves,
nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You traverse sea and land to make one convert,
and when that happens you make him a child of Gehenna
twice as much as yourselves.

“Woe to you, blind guides, who say,
‘If one swears by the temple, it means nothing,
but if one swears by the gold of the temple, one is obligated.’
Blind fools, which is greater, the gold,
or the temple that made the gold sacred?

And you say, ‘If one swears by the altar, it means nothing,
but if one swears by the gift on the altar, one is obligated.’
You blind ones, which is greater, the gift,
or the altar that makes the gift sacred?

One who swears by the altar swears by it and all that is upon it;
one who swears by the temple swears by it
and by him who dwells in it;

one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God
and by him who is seated on it.”

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You may have heard about how fundamentalists have attacked the Church using the passages of today's Gospel.

In my country, fundamentalist numbers have grown through the years. I once remember crossing myself in one literary contest I joined, and one co-participant was shocked. He acted as though I had some contagious disease. "You're Catholic? Oh no."

The talk about Pharisees and other people of high rank within the Catholic Church can really fire up our brother and sister fundamentalists and bring on their attacks on the Catholic Church, making such claims like "the Pope is the antichrist," and, "you must be Born-Again."

I in fact have just read some comics from this illustrator who seems to specialize in writing against the Catholic Church. I quite remember reading one of their comics about "why is Mary crying," and I just read about how disparagingly their comics depict the Society of Jesus. I have yet to discover the Society from the inside (after all I am not one of them yet, and I am not sure if God will grant me the chance), but I have this to say about the things I read: I found them too preposterous to believe in. These writings can only come from a misunderstanding of what the Church and the Society of Jesus does and is missioned to do.

I personally believe that the way we look at other people can only be influenced by what we have experienced from them. If they are this hateful of our Church, I cannot but conclude that somehow they may have been at the receiving end of mistakes that some members of our Church have committed through the years.

Let us pray for the Spirit of Unity and Faith, that we may all be one, and that we may work to unite ourselves in Christ instead of working towards division and dissension.

The second part of the Gospel tells us about Pharisees crossing land and sea to make converts. We have no authority to judge people as whether they are like Pharisees or not, but this somehow must be clear to us: as we live our lives as Christians, do others see the Faith in us? Or do we further corrupt the world around us? My country was evangelized because of missionaries, as a result my nation is one of the two Christian nations in Asia (the other is East Timor). Not all missionaries are perfect, and history can only shudder at how some of them have done great disservice to the Church and to its newly-evangelized.

If we are sent to a mission, are we doing the right thing? Are we really committed?

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Saint Ignatius of Loyola, grant that we may always stand for the Truth and for what God wants us to do for His greater glory. Amen.

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photo credits: http://www.lwbc.co.uk/Marks%20Gospel/pharisees.JPG, http://www.sundayschoolcourses.com/inq/friars.jpg

Going Out of the Comfort Zone

Mt 19:16-22

A young man approached Jesus and said,
“Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?”
He answered him, “Why do you ask me about the good?
There is only One who is good.
If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
He asked him, “Which ones?”
And Jesus replied, “You shall not kill;
you shall not commit adultery;
you shall not steal;
you shall not bear false witness;
honor your father and your mother;
and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
The young man said to him,
“All of these I have observed. What do I still lack?”
Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go,
sell what you have and give to the poor,
and you will have treasure in heaven.
Then come, follow me.”
When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad,
for he had many possessions.

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It has been a while since I last posted. The grind of a medical student is beginning to take its toll on me, as we have begun seeing patients in the outpatient clinical department of the hospital and answering questions of our clinical consultants regarding the management of our patients.

Many things have been learned, and many weaknesses have once again come to the fore. Many sins have been committed, and many tears have been shed, all for the thirst and the desire to experience God in my everyday life. But at times He could be so far away so as to just feel Him only faintly in my life.

I value highly my feelings, but what is it in the heart? I know Christ is in my heart, but do I allow Him to make Himself known in the actions I make, in the words I say, and in the way I deliver care to my patients?

The picture above shows the living room at the Arvisu House Jesuit Prenovitiate, where I attended open house just hours ago. It was an enriching experience to talk with my friends in the prenovitiate, as well as my friends in the Society of Jesus. It also served as a respite from the immense stress of medical school.

God only knows what future role this house will play next in my life.

Today's Gospel on the rich man reminds me once again on the difficulty of following God's call. If I am indeed called to the religious life, I pray that even now, may the Lord grant me the strength to withstand the pressure of going out one's comfort zone, just to serve Christ in others.

Lord, may my whole life be an acceptable offering to You, and I pray that even if it entails the shedding of blood for Your Most Holy Name, grant that Your Will may dominate in how my lifetime will be spent on earth. In the name of Your Son Jesus I pray, Amen.

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Saint Alberto Hurtado and Saint Ignatius of Loyola, pray for us.

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photo credits: http://www.intheschoolofchrist.org/, http://jeffsj.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/85/4?xurl=%2Fphotos%2Fphoto%2F85%2F4 (courtesy of Br. Jeff Pioquinto, SJ)

Laudare, Benedicere, Praedicare

Mt 16:24-28

Jesus said to his disciples,
“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world
and forfeit his life?
Or what can one give in exchange for his life?
For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory,
and then he will repay each according to his conduct.
Amen, I say to you, there are some standing here
who will not taste death
until they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.”

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I have to admit that the hectic schedule of a medical student, an eldest son and a member of college-based organizations is beginning to take its toll on me. I believe that stress tends to weaken one's resistance not only from disease, but from temptation to yearn for something other than the joy that communion with Christ offers. As a result, I sin not only against God, but against others. Things aren't getting done, responsibilities not taken care of, duties not fulfilled.

This suddenly called to mind one of the saints I idolize: Saint Dominic. In dealing with his temptations he would rather hurl himself onto thorns or roll on snow to calm his raging impulses, than deal with the sinful consequences following temptation. In relating with today's Gospel, he would rather carry his cross as valiantly as possible. What thorns and snow do I have to hurl myself onto just to strengthen my resolve to carry on with my struggle to follow God with all heart?

The Dominican emblem illustrates the powerful charism granted to them by God: Veritas, laudare, benedicere, praedicare. To praise, bless and preach Truth. It is a charism that not only Dominicans are called to. This is a spirituality all Christians are called to do in their daily lives. How are we preaching God in the things we do? And, are our actions blessing and praising God?

I often choose the people I relate to about the things happening in my life. As a result, people in class, for instance, don't hear things coming out of my mouth much, just things about hospital and ward work.

So that leaves me with my actions as a way to share myself with others. I do pray that my actions will be able to testify my attempt at doing God's will. But somehow my imperfections come to the fore. I would not take the opportunity to explain myself why I still have imperfections, nor would I demand being understood in the context of my personal circumstances.

I would rather just pray that God would enable me to take this one step at a time.

Why do I expect things to go my way? When will I ever let God do His way?

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Saint Dominic de Guzman and Saint Ignatius of Loyola, pray for us.

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photo credits: http://www.bridgebuilding.com/images/mi409x.jpg, http://oneyearbibleimages.com/cross_follow.jpg, http://homepage.mac.com/jdalisay/blog/user_files/oblation.jpg, http://www.church-windows.com/images/Dominican%20Friars-8web.jpg

Jesuit Coincidences 1

7:30 A.M., August 6, 2008

After receiving absolution from a very kindly secular priest (not affiliated with any religious clergy, i.e. diocesan priest) who always gives me practical advice on how to deal with my weaknesses and failures, I suddenly realized how through the years, his approach on life's problems is very similar to Ignatian spirituality.

Then it occurred to me, that my confessor, to whom I shared my problems through the three years I have been going to their parish for confession, is actually Jesuit-trained.

1:08 A.M., August 7, 2008

Logged into the Philippine Jesuits website. Then I see it: today is a special day for Jesuits, it is today in 1814 that the Society was restored after its suppression 41 years prior.

Oh, Ignatius, for the love of God, meddle with me further!

+ Ad majorem Dei gloriam!

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Sanctus Ignatiae Loyolis, ora pro nobis.

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photo credits:
http://www.church-windows.com/images/Society%20of%20Jesus-8web.jpg

Dryness

Mt 17:1-9

Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother, John,
and led them up a high mountain by themselves.
And he was transfigured before them;
his face shone like the sun
and his clothes became white as light.
And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them,
conversing with him.
Then Peter said to Jesus in reply,
“Lord, it is good that we are here.
If you wish, I will make three tents here,
one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
While he was still speaking, behold,
a bright cloud cast a shadow over them,
then from the cloud came a voice that said,

“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased;
listen to him.”

When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate
and were very much afraid.
But Jesus came and touched them, saying,
“Rise, and do not be afraid.”
And when the disciples raised their eyes,
they saw no one else but Jesus alone.

As they were coming down from the mountain,
Jesus charged them,
“Do not tell the vision to anyone
until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

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Just this afternoon, while interviewing a patient in the Ear, Nose, Throat (ENT) Ward.

"Ma'am, nakararanas po ba kayo ng panunuyo ng mata?" Was our patient experiencing dryness of the eye? Our patient said no.

But lately, I wanted to reply to that same question to myself. Yes. I feel dry, but not in the eyes, thankfully. But, I feel dryness of the Spirit. Just as many who attempt to follow Christ, like how Blessed Teresa of Calcutta wrote in her diaries, like how Saint John of the Cross wrote about the darkness of the soul.

In medicine, dryness of the eye may lead to itching, and discomfort of the patient.

In light of today's Gospel, I pray that this dryness may lead me to a deeper longing of the reality that is Christ Jesus. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, so they say. I firmly believe that God is deep within my heart, and He can never be absent from my life. But what keeps me blinded from feeling His Presence in my life? Like how you sent Ananias to give sight to the Apostle Paul, Lord Jesus, take away the scales from my eyes, and set me away from my lack of faith.

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Saints Paul and Ignatius of Loyola, pray that my inner yearning for Christ be satisfied. Amen.

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photo credits: http://www.markmallett.com /blog/wp-images/carl-bloch-transfiguration.jpg, http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ae/ Ananias_restoring_the_sight_of_st_paul_(34663925).jpg/ 479px-Ananias_restoring_the_sight_of_st_paul_ (34663925).jpg, http://www.abideinchrist.com/missions/humulla22.jpg

If A Mule Would Do It, Why Wouldn't You?

Mt 14:13-21

When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist,
he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself.
The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns.
When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd,
his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick.
When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said,
“This is a deserted place and it is already late;
dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages
and buy food for themselves.”
Jesus said to them, “There is no need for them to go away;
give them some food yourselves.”
But they said to him,
“Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.”
Then he said, “Bring them here to me, ”
and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass.
Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven,
he said the blessing, broke the loaves,
and gave them to the disciples,
who in turn gave them to the crowds.
They all ate and were satisfied,
and they picked up the fragments left over—
twelve wicker baskets full.
Those who ate were about five thousand men,
not counting women and children.

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As I heard the Gospel once again this morning at Mass, I was once again drawn to the parallelism between this event and the Institution of the Eucharist. Fr. Bing Arellano, whose show I occasionally chance upon on EWTN, once remarked about how Jesus went into the future and compartmented His whole Body and Blood into the Bread and Wine He broke during that fateful Last Supper with His Apostles.

We Catholics are particularly fortunate for being given the grace to partake personally the Body and Blood of Christ, as a way of strengthening His presence in our lives. And yes, the mere thought of this sends shockwaves through my spine. Who would imagine such a way for God to be with His people?

One non-Catholic friend of mine once told me that this person wanted me to attend their church for the purpose of giving me more food, because, as this person said, "the Catholic Church isn't giving you much food." Upon hearing that from this person's lips, I almost cried. I cannot bear imagining other people to take Christ's presence in the Eucharist for granted. Reminding myself of the presence of the Eucharist was enough to tell me that my Church is giving me more than enough food: she is giving me God Himself!

As a way of proving the Holy Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, Saint Anthony of Padua once responded to a challenge posed by a non-believer of the Holy Presence.

" During the 13th century St. Anthony of Padua was reported to have converted a hardened heretic through a rather unique contest.

The heretic, by the name of Bononillo, was unmoved by the reasoning of the "hammer of heretics," as St. Anthony was called. Bononillo was as stubborn as the mule that stood beside him.

Eyeing the mule, Anthony made an offer to Bononillo. He asked him whether he would give up his heresy if the mule were to bow down and adore its Creator present in the Blessed Sacrament.

The heretic answered he would, provided he could lay down certain conditions: for two days the mule was not to be fed, and on the third day it was to be led into the public square. On one side of the square would be placed a tempting pile of fresh feed, on the opposite side Anthony could stand with what Bononillo contemptuously called the "body of Christ."

Anthony agreed, but in all humility made one condition. If the animal did not kneel before the Blessed Sacrament, his sins alone were to be blamed.

The day arrived for this strange contest and the square was crowded with people. When the derisive Bononillo arrived with his half-starved mule, he was fully confident that his mule had sense and appetite enough to go after the feed.

But he was wrong. Anthony had implored his Lord in the intervening two days for the soul of this heretic. God did not let his faithful servant down. When turned loose, the mule without the least hesitation advanced towards Anthony and knelt in an attitude of adoration before the Blessed Sacrament.

With much emotion and contrition the heretic too fell on his knees and gave up his heresy. As wonderful as these miracles are the greatest of all, transubstantiation, has to be viewed with the eyes of faith. " (from http://www.therealpresence.org/eucharst/mir/oem_mh.htm)

This post once again echoes a call to honor and adore Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, and receiving Him worthily at Holy Mass. Let us continue to purify ourselves, get to know Christ closer by encountering Him in Scripture and tradition, and live lives of Christian goodness and receive Him into our bodies, into our souls, and into our lives.

Let us honor, adore, and worship Christ in the Eucharist. If a mere mule would do it, why wouldn't you?

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Saint Anthony of Padua and Saint Ignatius of Loyola, pray for us.

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Photo credits: http://www.benotafraidnewsletter.com/eucharist_year.jpg, http://prayingforgrace.blogspot.com/2007_10_01_archive.html, http://photos9.flickr.com/20095889_1c3d8d85c9.jpg, http://www.monasteryicons.com/products/regular/402.jpg, http://www.stanthony.org/aboutanthony/gfx/history_art_3.jpg

A Snapshot of Life

Mt 14:13-21

When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist,
he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself.
The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns.
When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd,
his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick.
When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said,
“This is a deserted place and it is already late;
dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages
and buy food for themselves.”
Jesus said to them, “There is no need for them to go away;
give them some food yourselves.”
But they said to him,
“Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.”
Then he said, “Bring them here to me, ”
and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass.
Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven,
he said the blessing, broke the loaves,
and gave them to the disciples,
who in turn gave them to the crowds.
They all ate and were satisfied,
and they picked up the fragments left over—
twelve wicker baskets full.
Those who ate were about five thousand men,
not counting women and children.

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Our university hospital

Almost all people who attend medical school have dissection classes, in which cadavers are sliced and the parts within it studied, memorized and related to the living human body as a way of learning its different structures. It does offer a snapshot of what the medical student is to expect of his education in his future years.

Admittedly, as I now remember my dissection year two years ago, I never imagined that dissection would offer me such a wide perspective of things, about life, about illness and about how it may affect the body and the soul. I may just be looking at things at a contemplative way, but it works for me. Especially since I hold dear Ignatian spirituality: finding God in all things.

I have not posted in this blog for quite a while, and I thought that this opportunity ought to serve as a way of not only catching up, but of helping me recall God's blessings for the past week.

I am now in third year medical school, a stage that we in my school call integrated clinical clerkship (ICC). In ICC year we are given the chance to interact with patients, and somehow try to study their diseases well enough to propose diagnostic and treatment modalities. We then present our patients to our clinical consultants, as a way of knowing what they have to say and as a way of letting them sign papers for patient management.

ICC year normally starts with a general review of systemic diseases and would later on move on to pharmacology (the science of drug effects and how the body uses them) and rotations within the different clinical departments of the university hospital.

Since we are the medical school of the national University of the Philippines, our patients tend to come from different parts of our island-nation and likewise tend to have very complex diseases entailing complex procedures and management of symptoms. We started rotations last week and my first rotation was in the Ophthalmology department, where patients with eye complaints go.

My first week as an integrated clinical clerk was both exciting and unnerving. Exciting because this opportunity opened me to a lot more chances at getting to know my calling as a physician. Unnerving because I had to deal with the fact that I have to study well enough to present my patients' case to clinical consultants right after examining them. Somehow I pray that after I finish ICC year and enter the immensely challenging clerkship year, I may be ready to face my duties with compassion for my patients, and with faith, strong enough that it can be spread to all people I may meet.

Saint Ignatius at his study.

I began this post with a mental image about my dissection year as a way of introducing how I will post tonight: by dissecting tomorrow's Gospel reading, and reflecting on each salient point and how it related to my life for the past week.

When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist,
he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself.

We encounter very bad news all the time. How do we manage to pull ourselves together when the undesirable happens? I often choose to just listen to God, and just sit in the chapel, trying to pray and dwell in the Presence of God. But admittedly, doing this isn't always easy. Jesus knew how to handle crises like these, and in the Gospel, Jesus teaches us the value of soul-searching, the value of reflecting and meditating on how God's will manifested in our daily lives, no matter how disastrous or devastating some events may seem.

The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns.
When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd,
his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick.

Bingo. He cured their sick. My medical student self seems to pat my shoulder: if you are trying to approach a religious vocation through the medical field, you seem to be on the right track! But I am praying that whenever internal struggles push my spirit to its limits, I may still be able to minister to people. Despite Jesus' desire for some quiet time, He still has to serve the people who need Him. How much are we ready to help other people at times that we think we need more help than these people do?

When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said,
“This is a deserted place and it is already late;
dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages
and buy food for themselves.”

How do we manage the people coming to us for help? Do we help as much as we can? How much do we trust ourselves that we have enough faith or resources to help other people with?

Jesus said to them, “There is no need for them to go away;
give them some food yourselves.”
But they said to him,
“Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.”

We often wonder how we could offer the little that we have for the Lord. As we will later see, we would discover that God magnifies that little thing that we have, but we have to offer them to Him first.

Then he said, “Bring them here to me, ”
and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass.
Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven,
he said the blessing, broke the loaves,
and gave them to the disciples,
who in turn gave them to the crowds.
They all ate and were satisfied,

I love this part. It anticipates the Sacrifice that Jesus was about to undergo for the sake of mankind: it gives us a preview of the powerful Eucharist He was about to institute. How much do we trust God to help us in our material needs?

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I was not able to post on the 31st of July, the feast day of Saint Ignatius of Loyola. Since this blog is dedicated to the intercession of Saint Ignatius, I am posting here a poem I wrote about his armorial bearings. His shield is divided into two: the dexter side (seen from the viewer's left) shows seven red bands on a yellow background, while the sinister side (seen from the viewer's right) shows two wolves drinking from a pot.



Both images hold very dear to me: we are seven members in my family, and my surname is Lopez, which is Old Portuguese for "wolf". Loyola itself is a corruption of the Spanish "lobos y olla," the wolf and pot of his shield.

Ode to the Shield

I am Lopez, a wolf,
Seeking respite in the midst of worldly confusion.
Lo, a pot descends, from within I see water my parched soul may partake!
I then see myself, chained, just as that pot which was chained from up Above,
But O, so wonderfully!
Because, in the beginning I may have seen
How seemingly my freedom to roam about was taken away
But when I saw where the chain led to
I can only dance in excitement
I can only sing with joy
I can only exult with such gladness
I can only praise Him ever more!

(Saturday, June 21, 2008, 12:08 am)

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Saint Ignatius of Loyola, from whom I derive much inspiration, pray for us.
AMDG.

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photo credits: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/252/449486895_540a5aadf9.jpg, http://www.creativejubilee.com/images/breads.jpg, http://lh4.ggpht.com/_z-2AcZpoNlQ/R5duTTfv3ZI/AAAAAAAAdrM/njR97lvvFew/Ignatius+of+Loyola.jpg, http://www.santuariodeloyola.org/imgx/images/fot_03.jpg, http://www.santuariodeloyola.org/imgx/images/fot_105.jpg, https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhj9zIyuEQioWQVLtKJ-5XJEUKhejMuV9HX2PI8cVRO3iFxKuFrPLGx5eAcXluGuhJItKM6st6r7G9BWycKaE4UMCF88aCdinwflF-VfaCtlnSa8N09ptW5h4rBfuGm1-7Yj_nFLUrwwI/s1600-h/Loyola+Coat+of+Arms+%28House+of+Loyola%29.JPG