GOD CAN BE HELPLESS

 

The Marriage Encounter Weekend (MEW) is definitely one renewal program that we have to be thankful for. Since its conception in Spain by a certain Fr. Calvo, and since it was brought to the Philippines via U.S.A. by Jesuit Fr. Ruben Tanseco, the program has benefited countless Catholic and Christian couples in their search for quality married life. The undeniable testimony to this is the number of M.E. communities that have been put up and sustained by couples who, after being touched by the program, decided to make the promotion of MEW as their lifetime apostolate.

Each weekend class has interesting stories to tell. While majority of the couples who come to the weekend seminar are “infected” positively by the presentation talks and dynamics, some are not even able to complete the weekend. Some couples end up quarrelling and breaking up. And there are those who thought that their marriage was fantastic, yet afterwards experience shake-ups in their relationships. The words and wisdom shared by the presenting teams, consisting of two couples and a priest, and the disclosures that either husband or wife do after each reflection, failed to yield good fruits because one of the parties doesn’t open up to listen or to give. Pride, unforgiveness, rationalizations, emotionalism block goodwill and goodness.

Nothing is impossible with God, yes. But the parable of Jesus today awakens us to the reality that although God is powerful, there are instances when His power is rendered helpless because the human heart is unprepared or too preoccupied with temporalities. The economy of God’s grace can be likened to the cellphone. Through the years, this gadget has opened up various horizons of exchange. Through the powerful beam of unseen digital energies, voice calls, text messages, video calls, email exchanges and Internet connectivities are now possible. But all these become useless when the user enters a place where he or she “cannot be reached.” Fr. Domie Guzman, SSP

 

Reflection Question:

What unpleasant circumstances in life make you often shut yourself off from others’ reach and from God’s joys? What can you do to open yourself more to God’s grace and goodness?

 

Lord, make me more receptive to Your grace and goodness. Amen.

 

St. Etto, pray for us.