TEACHING, LIFE, BREAD AND PRAYERS

 

There was this story of an old man who, after back-breaking work in the fields, would drop by the church and stay there for hours each and every single day, with gaze focused on the Blessed Sacrament. The pastor sort of got curious and, one day, asked the old man what he did in church for so long every day. The old man answered the priest without batting an eyelash, “I look at Him and He looks at me, and I feel blessed for the day.”

He sure had commitment and dedication, not to mention single-mindedness. In his simple faith, the old man has taught us a whole lot aboutthose values, and a whole lot more, about prayer.

It is hard for postmoderns like us to be focused on anything. Parents would worry about a thousand and one things first thing in the morning: what the children would wear, what they would bring to school, etc. Young adults have their own share of worries: how to blend in with their peer group and still maintain their uniqueness and autonomy; their ability or otherwise to keep up with what is fashionable and cool. Name it,

we have it: issues and concerns that occupy our waking and even our sleeping thoughts.

The early Christians, a very small band of believers then, must have had their own share of worries, issues and concerns, too. They did not exactly wake up to see a society warm and cuddly towards a group of followers of Someone the authorities had just condemned to death recently. They were not exactly liked by the powers that be in those days. And given the spreading rumors that their leader had reportedly risen from the dead, they sure had to watch their back as everyone suddenly became wary of that band of believers.

But their conviction that the Lord is risen led them to commitment and dedication. We all know what it was they committed and dedicated themselves to: His teachings, the communal life, the breaking of bread, the prayers — the whole works done by a serious follower of the Risen Lord. That old man sure got his priorities right!  Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB

 

Reflection Question:

How committed are you to live out your Christian life? What area of your spiritual life needs reinforcement?

 

Risen Lord, help me to rise up, too, and be worthy of my calling as a Christian.

 

St. Grata, pray for us.