Extra Baggage! - 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Gospel Reading: Matthew 11, 25-30


I was 26 years old when I first had my chance to take a plane from Cebu to Manila. There seemed to be so many gates and so many directions to follow. People seemed to be doing their own thing. They didn't notice a lost soul wandering around and in them. Cool! I wanted to be cool and to act as naturally as I could. I didn't want to ask anyone. I wanted to be in! I didn't know what to do.

I was at the Check-in counter when the lady asked me, "How about your bag sir?" I casually answered, "No, I'm fine." I didn't know what she was asking about. I've seen in some movies that I need to drop my bag off but I didn't know when and where. And I was also thinking, if this the place to drop my bag off, how to reclaim it?

There I was walking down the hallway unto the Waiting Area with my heavy backpack and 1 big heavier carryall bag. I noticed that everybody seems to be simply gliding with small hand carry bags but there I was, overly burdened.

Life, they say, is burdensome. Even newborn babies know this. We hear them cry as soon as they are out. But notice that as soon as they feel comforted, they start to come calm down. They are still in the same world, breathing for their life, knowing by instinct that sooner or later, they will grow up and have to face the rugged truth about life. But the mother's caress is enough for them to be assured that it is difficult but it will be all right. The mother's caress is enough for them to sleep through the night.

We don't need to fly far away just to know what pain and suffering is. We look at our relationships now. We have troubled marriage, daunting in-laws, drop-out kids, and at times stubborn parents. We deal with each them on a daily basis. But like the newborn baby, we may not be able to get away from the situation but we will be comforted by the people around us. However, this people comforting us need the same comforting that we do. The comforting they can give is relative to their own personal circumstances. We need real and lasting comforting.

Jesus Christ comforts us. He said, "Come to me all you who are burden... and I will give you rest... For my yoke is easy and my burden light." At times we want to do things our way; solve problems and resolve conflicts the way we have been been doing it. He assures us that He will offer rest for all of us. He Himself knows how it is to go through the pains, difficulties, and challenges. He was once with us and lived us one of us. He knows all of it and He also knows the comforting of His own Father. This is the comfort that Jesus will give us. He will give us the love and comfort He received from His own Father. He calls us to take our rest. But at times we are too busy to notice Him. We are preoccupied with so many things that we fail to acknowledge this God who comes to us and offer us love, comfort and rest.

I could have enjoyed my first walk in the airport premises had I listened to the lady's invitation to have my bags be checked in. I could have glided through and enjoyed my first ever airplane flight.

On my succeeding flights, I made it sure that I only have my hand carry bag with me and nothing else. As to my extra burdens, well, I do have the entire airline attendants to help me with my baggage. Why bother adding burden to myself when somebody who knows the entire trip and the airplane capacity offers me some minutes of rest? Jesus does the same. He doesn't take away the burdens. He shares it with us.

Thank God It's Friday!

Thank God It's Friday (TGIF). Long before I had the chance to be part of the working class of this country, I just couldn't understand what was there on Friday nights to look forward to. I mean Friday nights seemed to be just like any other nights. It starts at nine in the evening and ends six hours later. But when I had my share of having to go to an office, to deal with supervisors and managers, and to try hard hitting targets and quotas, it was then that Friday nights became such a relief. But then Friday night came, Saturday morning followed, the next time I opened my eyes, it was again time to be in the office. Friday nights offered relief, albeit temporarily.

Jesus, in our Gospel reading today, said, "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest." Did Jesus say come to me and your heavy loads will be gone forever? No! He said, "I will give you rest!" Jesus Christ offers that we spend our Friday nights with Him. He invites us to cling to Him for rest.

We can never do away with the difficulties and challenges of life. But let us not be weary. Instead, let us be consoled because someone offers Himself to us that we can take our rest.

Furthermore, Jesus invites us to "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart... For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Instead of looking for Friday nights to console us momentarily, we embrace the yoke of Jesus. We will still be facing the same difficulties and challenges, but this time around, with Jesus Christ with us, it will be easy and our burden light. He assures us that with Him, "you will find rest for yourselves."

May we all learn to run to Jesus when we are tired and weary. He alone can give us real and lasting comfort. He alone can give us lasting peace. So instead of saying TGIF, we say, "Thank God for Jesus!"

My Sins Are Forgiven?

One of the cases (made up stories) I read from the collection of cases for our Ad Audiendas Confessiones (On Hearing Confessions) that created a great impact on me was that of a 65-year old woman who went to confession after hearing mass. She said, "Bless me Father for I have sinned. I have had an abortion and it haunts me until now." The priest was shocked because the woman was of age and pregnancy was impossible for her more so with abortion. He was silent for a while. Then the old woman continued. I was 18 when it happened but until now I still carry with me the guilt. The priest asked, "Is this the first time that you confess this sin?" The old woman replied, "No, I have been confessing this sin and even almost every month but the guilt haunts me until now."

The case was just a made up story but I think somewhere, somehow, in one of the corners of our churches, the story holds true. This case happens everyday though it wears different hues and shades but it does happen. I can only imagine how the old woman spent her days, for the last 47 years of her life, in such guilt-stricken heart. I can only imagine how she felt every time a new born baby cries. She lived her life feeling that she was not forgiven by God.

In today's Gospel reading Jesus said, "Courage, child, your sins are forgiven!" No amount of sin can separate us from the love of God. No amount of sin can equal the love of the Father. No amount of sin is ever unforgivable before Father. He loves so much the world (all of us) that He gave His only Son, Jesus Christ, so that whoever believes in Him may have life, life eternal."

But we often doubt this love of God. We often think that sin is more powerful than love. Jesus Christ assures us, no amount of sin can ever keep us away from Him. Today, Jesus reminds us that His love for us is beyond the bounds of human imagination. His love for us is greater than the sin we committed.

When we are in sin, we are away from the presence of God. It is not because God hides himself from us, but that we hide ourselves from Him. God is simply waiting for our return. Like the father of the Prodigal Son, he awaits patiently for our coming home.

If we are in a state of sin and are now haunted by the guilt of the mistakes we have committed in the past, Jesus Christ has offered us the Sacrament of Reconciliation. He awaits for our return.

Let us trust and believe that God loves us so much and that no amount of sin we have committed are ever unforgivable for Him. He offers us forgiveness. He offers us His love. All we need to do is embrace this loving and forgiving God. We also pray that those who are forgiven by God, like the 65-year old woman, will try to forgive themselves as they are forgiven by God. May we truly be like our Father, loving and forgiving.