HE WHO LISTENS, AND LEARNS, COMES TO ME

 

I’ve taken care of a number of different breeds of dogs in my lifetime. Starting with a mongrel that we fondly call “askal” (asong kalye or stray dog) in the Philippines, I eventually moved on to take care of medium-weight to heavy-weight breeds like Labrador retrievers, Rottweillers and Great Danes. Each breed is different in terms of their capacity to listen, learn and obey.

Yesterday, we reflected on a recalcitrant carabao. Today, our reflection sort of goes down to the dogs. Yes, dogs, too, can teach us a lesson or two about listening, learning and obeying. There are breeds who take to your commands with ease. They love human company. There are breeds who obey their nose more than they obey their masters, like Bassette Hounds, who are not as warm and cuddly as Golden Retrievers.

But whatever breed they are, we love dogs simply because they listen, they learn, and they come to us with alacrity and ill-concealed joy. That is, after, a lengthy period of training.

Many of my readers have been educated in the faith for most of their lives. Most of us are cradle Catholics, and many of us even “survived” Catholic school. We heard the ABCs of the faith from early on. But mere rote learning, unfortunately, does not translate to intimacy with God. They may make us “religious” but not necessarily “spiritual.”

I would suggest that today’s readings really call us to go beyond religiosity. Religiosity is focused on what we can do. Spirituality is more like a two-way affair, a relationship that is personal and intimate. It is not something that we do unilaterally, but a response to a call from God. “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him.” The initiative comes from God, not us. The good news, though, is that God the Father made it easier for us, by sending us His Son. From God comes the call to fullness of life. It devolves upon us now to do our part: listen and learn from the Father, and then come to His Son, who is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB

 

Reflection Question:

The listening, learning and coming to God through Jesus is a journey. In what stage do I find myself in right now?

 

Lord Jesus, let me listen and learn from Your life and from those of the Apostles and the saints so that I may finally dwell in You.

 

St. Diomma, pray for us.